Digimon 02: Revision
by IrishPanther
Summary: Set after the episode "The Crest of Kindness." What would happen if an event in the beginning ended up affecting what happens in the end. Set up from "Under One's Control" and "Is Love the Right Answer?" Canonical in a way...
1. Chapter 1

**UPDATE (7/25/2012): Hey everyone who is interested in reading this story...let me start off by stating that this chapter, along with the next few, will be kind of strict to the main plot after the Digimon Emperor saga. It will only be for the first five to six chapters, then the curves will come in. I apologize in advance if any characters seem OOC and if I'm trying to bash anyone in general; this is what I didn't have in mind in the first place. It was just to get the story starting. Without further ado, welcome to the story and continue on to my author's note...  
**

* * *

**Hello everybody, this is IrishPanther back to bring you guys what should be a tough but fun project: a 'revision' of Digimon Adventure 02. Before I begin, there are a few things that I want to clarify to you...**

**First off: this revision is taken from the events of my two stories entitled "Under One's Control" and "Is Love the Right Answer?" so that it could A) flesh out how Davis feels knowing that Ken (part of the team) enslaved Veemon and B) go into Veemon and Gatomon's friendship and (eventually) relationship.**

**Stating the above, this fic is in no way, shape, or form a VeeGato! Though it will contain the pairing and a few more pairings, the main essense of the story will be based on the rest of the 02 season with the consequences that could arise with what occurred in my other story. Along the way I would fill it major plot holes and kind of tie together what I feel should have been a good dubbed season of Digimon.**

**Second off: I still need to make a plan for this story! This chapter has been stuck in my head for days and I felt that it would be better for me to add it in right now. This way, I could get your guys opinion on what could be an amazing workpiece by me.**

**Third off: I will, for the most part, try to intertwine the events from 02 into my story, but not everything will get put into it. I kind of want to put my own twist into this story so that, in a way, it's original in its essence. Though, trying to do that without any reference besides Digimon Wiki (since YouTube decided to be all** _ugh _**and remove almost all of the 02 episodes), can be a big task, but I will try my best to deal with it.**

**The content of the story is Rated T due to some swearing (though at times might not be noticable, I will let you know when the heaving swearing comes in...).**

**Anyway, as always, read, review, and enjoy!  
**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM! I ALSO DO NOT OWN THE SUPER MARIO FRANCHISE IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM!**

* * *

The Digital World has seen both good days and bad days. It has been known to bring peace, but terror can come and interrupt the notion. For example, take the role that the Digimon Emperor had. Enslaving harmless digimon through dark rings and controlling them for his own sick amusement would make even the nastiest kid's heart melt. He never knew the trouble that he started; it was only when it was subsided that he realized what torment he brought out. Since then, the digidestined has been hard at work, trying to clean up the mess that the Emperor has left behind. Let's pick the story up from there, shall we…

"So gang, here we are…" Davis Motomiya, the leader of the digidestined and the keeper of the digieggs of Courage and Friendship, promptly stated once the gang was in the Digital World.

"Yep, nothing feels better than a calm, breezy day where we can kick back and relax." Yolei Inoue, the keeper of the digieggs of Love and Sincerity added.

"Yolei, you know well as to why we came here in the first place." Cody Hida, the youngest in the group as well as the keeper of the digieggs of Knowledge and Reliability, stated to the older teen.

"Yeah, c'mon guys," TK Takaishi, the bearer of the Crest of Hope with the same known digiegg, started out. "We have to work on fixing what the Digimon Emperor left behind for us after his destruction."

"Well, to me, that seems like a cruddy job, but it still needs to be done." Kari Kamiya, the bearer of the Crest of Light with the same known digiegg, spoke what was on her mind on the current situation at hand.

"Yeah, just like a cruddy being would do; bring chaos to the world and leave for the good guys to clean up; what a prick…" Davis cursed in a spiteful voice.

The other digidestined couldn't help but to feel for Davis. After all, he _**should**_ feel hatred towards the Emperor for enslaving his digimon partner, Veemon, on his second day in the Digital World.

"Now Davis," TK was trying his best to reassure his friend, "I know you still feel miffed for what he did to you and Veemon, but can you find it in yourself to just concentrate on working for a few hours, please?"

Davis inhaled deeply and, letting all the hatred out of him by exhaling, turned to TK with a satisfying smile on his face. "Sure thing, thanks again."

TK just smiled at that comment. Ever since the whole Veemon fiasco, Davis and TK's friendship has only grown stronger with each obstacle they had to overcome with the Emperor. Their once-known 'rivalry' was a thing in the past. This even pleased Kari, knowing that she doesn't have the added pressure of two of her closest friends hating each other.

"With that all taken care of now, does anybody know what needs to be done," Kari spoke up.

"Ooh yeah, almost forgot," Yolei stated as she pulled out her D-Terminal from her pocket, "I've taken the liberty of mapping out the five sectors that need the most work done. First location is the mountains up in the north."

"Do you know what needs to be done?" TK questioned.

"Not really sure, but I can guess judging by the damages, whoever occupies that place wants to plant for some odd reason." Yolei commented.

"I think this could be a job for us, right TK," Patamon, the cute bat like creature and TK's partner, asked.

"Yeah, I guess we can go there; see you guys," and with that comment, TK and Patamon were off.

"With that section covered, the town off in the east can use a bit of clean-up with some helpers serving lunch at this time of day." Yolei stated off next.

"Do you hear that Cody," Armadillomon, Cody's partner, exclaimed in his southern accent. "We could help out _**and**_ get a free meal; just like killing two stones with one bird, eh buddy?"

"I think you got that idiom messed up Arma…hey, wait for me!" Cody didn't have time to comply as the yellow-shelled armadillo was racing towards the city with Cody in tow.

"OK…up next is down south where the water farms are located." Yolei pointed out.

"Sweet, guess like that's my kind of place." Davis started to walk on when Kari interrupted.

"Wait Davis, I kind of wanted to head there…you know, since it does sounds easy."

"You know what Davis," Veemon, Davis's partner, decided to speak up." I think we should let Kari and Gatomon have the fields; I mean it could be easy work for them." With this last statement, Veemon quickly gave a wink in Gatomon's direction, making the white feline smile.

Since their heart-to-heart back in the cave after Veemon was rescued from the Emperor, Veemon and Gatomon have started to take things real slow. They've easily founded some solid ground on what was already a great friendship, but they've kept the relationship part secret from the rest of the pact for a while now.

"Well, if Veemon says so, then you guys can take it." Davis told the duo.

"Really; thanks Davis." Kari flashed a smile at her friend.

"Well enough waiting around; the faster we are done, the sooner I get to enjoy a catnap," Gatomon commented as she and Kari left.

"Well, the only part that hasn't been assigned is the lake, which is where you two will be working." Yolei spoke to the two left.

"Wait, what about the other section? Why don't we get a say?" Veemon asked.

"Well," Hawkmon, Yolei's partner, stated with his British accent, "the only section is the beach off to the west, and knowing Yolei, she would _**kill**_ for that." The crimson hawk couldn't help but to glance over at Yolei, whose facial expression read it all…

"Umm, yeah, beach for us. See you guys!" Yolei rapidly said as she departed towards the beach with Hawkmon following behind.

"Well buddy," Davis reassured to the little blue dragon, "guess like we have the lake."

"Let's hope it's nothing _**too **_back-breaking," Veemon wished…

* * *

TK surely pondered why growing plantation up on the mountain side was a good idea, but eagerly pushed that thought aside as he was busy making soil spots with the hoe.

As he did this, some Gotsumon came and planted all types of seeds, hoping that they will flourish with precise watering over the next few weeks. After the planting came the watering, where Patamon excelled in, using his wings to fly over the soil and, using his paws to grasp the watering can, poured water onto the buried seeds.

"So, how much more needs to be done," TK asked one of the Gotsumon.

"Not much, just some boulders needed pushing up the mountain and put into a ditch; other than that, we are almost good to go." The Gotsumon stated, proud of his helpers for what they have accomplished.

TK wearily added a smile to his face. "Well, let's get to it then." He didn't want to gripe, but he was already totaled after that basketball scrimmage he had against Davis. Sure, he had won considering he was the better player of the two, but that didn't make the win all that easier to take.

"TK, are you sure you can do this," Patamon questioned to his partner.

"No, but once we are done here, we can go and visit Kari and Gatomon; besides, I have this strange feeling that someone else is here." TK replied.

"Someone else, like whom, another person," Patamon chimed in.

"Well, not another person per say…" TK stated, "I think there might be another threat here in the Digital World…"

* * *

"There ya go; man you sure stir like a pro." The RedVegiemon couldn't help but to feel amazed by the hard work that Cody has put in with his time in the town. The Gazimon were even thanking him, for they were handed some delicious lunch to munch down.

Noticing the fire wearing down, RedVegimon ordered out, "Hey, we need more wood! C'mon now, don't you disappoint me!"

RedVegiemon couldn't help but to feel crossed with the lack of support that Armadillomon has been showing. With a heave of wood strapped to his back, the armadillo waddled his way over to where RedVegiemon stood.

"Oh man, is this hard or what?" Armadillomon complained. "When will _**we**_ get served?"

"Armadillomon," Cody scolded his partner, "We aren't here to feast, we are here to work…for the 7th time."

"Well pardon me, but I didn't see you acting like this when you were back in school. Ooh, reading a paragraph with a stone-cold expression sure sounded like you cared." Armadillomon scolded back at Cody.

"Listen," RedVegiemon stated as he took the wood and chucked it into the pit, "I don't care what's been going on, but if you don't shape up, you won't eat, understand!"

Armadillomon breathed out a heavy annoyed sigh "Understand…" and away he went, cussing away under his breath while he retrieved more wood.

* * *

"Ooh, the lake, it shouldn't be that back-breaking huh," Davis couldn't help but to openly mock his partner's words. "Yep, Veemon, this doesn't seem back-breaking at all!"

Davis certainly had room to complain. Building a dam took a lot of logs, huge thick logs at that. That in general took a lot of people to compete the task at hand. However, with only the Vegiemon and Numemon around, Veemon and Davis felt as though they didn't have any support.

"Well, excuse me for not knowing that we had to build a frickin dam for the digimon here." Veemon cussed back at Davis, clearly fuming with his partner's lack of respect.

"Guys, are we going to work on finishing this dam or not?" One of the Vegiemon asked impatiently.

Davis and Veemon both sighed, knowing that their little feud was far from over. Both agreeing, the ensemble got back to building.

* * *

"How is it possible for a beach to be this dirty?" Yolei asked aloud. The beachside was littered with shards of wood from a few boats and a pier that had to be cleaned up. Once that was done, the boats and the pier needed to be rebuild; obviously not that much thought process went through Yolei's head.

"Well, you can only blame yourself for this act," Hawkmon stated to his partner.

"Oh don't even get me started right now," Yolei bickered back to him.

"Is this still because of that little chemistry accident you had back at school; I got to say, the sight was pretty hilarious." Hawkmon couldn't help but to chuckle at the little memory.

Yolei sighed and looked at her partner. "Look, we are almost done with cleaning up; the Woodmon and Gizamon are working on repairing the boats and building the pier. Once all that is done, we should be good to go, barring any accidents."

"Yolei," Hawkmon couldn't help but to grin at his partner once again, "make sure you, how you guys say it, 'knock on wood,' just in case."

"Oh har, har, har…" Yolei sarcastically laughed while his partner was on a full laugh blast.

* * *

"OK guys, everything seems to be done," Kari stated to her group. She had truly done what seems to be a lot of work at the start in only a matter of a few hours. The newly rich soil has been planted and watered, and the bridge has been reconstructed. The group of Geckomon and Bakemon were all pleased at the work they accomplished.

As Kari admired the work she did, she couldn't help but to notice Gatomon already snuggled up. "Hey, sleepy head, you can have your catnap when we get back home, OK?"

"Mmmm…" Gatomon simply let out a whimper as her little snooze was interrupted by Kari.

"C'mon now, all we need to do is wait for the others and…" Kari couldn't finish her sentence as she was interrupted by TK and Patamon crossing the bridge, yelling out their names.

"We need to talk." TK promptly told Kari once he reached her.

"Alright, talk about what?" Kari asked her friend.

"…I think there might be someone else here; you know, another threat…" TK stated slowly.

"Really, is that so?" Kari couldn't help but to ponder about the possibility that someone else is threatening the Digital World.

"Can we please talk about this later, I'm too exhausted." The duo was interrupted by Gatomon, looking not so pleased.

Kari and TK agreed to wait until they got back to discuss the new matter at hand. They decided to walk back to the lake, where the gang was originally before splitting up and doing their own tasks. Once they got back however, they notice a pair was missing.

"Kind of strange that Davis and Veemon wouldn't be around here, eh," TK couldn't help but to point out the obvious.

"Hopefully they are alright," Kari reassured TK, hoping that neither of them was going to get into any real danger…

* * *

"Davis, we've been walking for a while now, what's the matter," Veemon decided to ask his partner why they were continuing to walk through the forest. "The others will eventually worry about us."

"We'll be back, don't worry; I just need to clear my head." Davis replied back.

"Clear your head of what…was it about that stupid game beforehand?"

Davis sighed, clearly showing that _**that**_ wasn't the reason for his walk. "No Veemon, it's nothing like that."

"Oh good, because I heard from Patamon that you got whooped…" Veemon said.

"Yeah, so what, I'm better at soccer and TK's better at basketball, that's all there is to it…wait, you didn't see the game." Davis asked Veemon.

Veemon suddenly started to blush lightly, not wanting Davis to know. "Well, I kind of saw some of it, but I was distracted by someone."

"Well, who was it?" Davis asked his partner.

"It was…Gatomon." Veemon decided to come right out and say it, not caring that his blush has gotten darker. He couldn't help himself; the way that she danced along the bannister in the gym got him distracted from watching his partner's awful scrimmage.

"Oh really, well I thought that you only saw her as a friend…" Davis started out, but then began to realize, "Ooh, now I get it, you love Gatomon!" Davis said in a singsong voice.

"No I don't," Veemon stated. However, his blush simply became darker than before trying not to break. "I only see her as a friend."

"Only as a friend…or more than a friend; c'mon Veemon, you are talking to the guru of getting girls in an instant, and you obviously don't see Gatomon as just a friend."

Veemon was starting to get a little furious with Davis. Sure, he likes Gatomon more than he did back at the cave a few months ago, but he was trying his best not to push Gatomon towards a relationship as he simply stated that 'he wanted to wait.' _'Why can't Davis see that I don't want to talk about this now…?'_ Veemon bitterly thought.

"C'mon," Davis just wouldn't stop egging on, "just tell me, it'll be over in a breeze."

"Davis," Veemon started off, "I do not want to tell you about me and Gatomon; for the moment, we are just good friends. Whether something does arise, I will let you know, but until that time I would very much appreciate it if you would just drop the subject!"

"Wow man, calm your jets," Davis trying his best to calm his partner down, "I just wanted to know if you love Gatomon or not; no use of freaking out at me."

"No Davis, there is a reason," Veemon stated, "you won't stop until you get an answer, it happens all the damn time with me. You simply push and push until I break and end up caving in. Well it's _**not**_ working this time, so just back off!"

"Seriously, you think I'm like that; you need a reality check," Davis implied while deciding to give Veemon a little push from behind.

Veemon turned around in Davis' direction. "Oh, so you want to play like that; ok then, let's play." Before Davis could blink, Veemon was running full charge at him. Davis had nothing else to do but to run away from his partner.

"I swear when I get my hands on you, you are going to be so dead!" Veemon bellowed out.

"Why, just because _**you**_ won't admit the fact that you are all lovey-dovey with Gatomon and can't get her off of your mind 24/7?" Davis retaliated back.

"Shut up about her!" Veemon came to a screeching halt as he let Davis cross a long and narrow bridge that hang over the river below them. "How many times do I need to repeat myself; I don't want to talk about it right now! Geez, you're worse than the Emperor sometimes!"

Davis felt a nerve in him struck when Veemon told him that. _'Worse than the Emperor, how in the world do you come up with that explanation,'_ Davis furiously thought.

"Really, you think that _**I'm**_ worse than the same Emperor who had you enslaved and controlled for a matter of hours. Yeah, I guess I'm that low of a scumbag to you, huh. It's a real good feeling when you know what your partner thinks of you. Have I ever lashed out at you before when you kept asking me repetitive questions? No, not once! What makes it right for you to do it to me," Davis wanted an answer from Veemon so badly, his body struggling with containing itself.

Veemon knew that he was dead when he mentioned that to his partner. Accepting defeat, he simmered down and looked straight at the ground.

"HAH," Davis couldn't help but to feel jubilant that he defeated his partner, "You _**can't**_ think of a good reason to do it; you know what, just to pity you some more, I'm going to really enjoy myself when I tell Kari about your little secret." Davis quickly reached for his D-Terminal, but was in shock when he saw it feel from his hands into the river. Looking at the culprit, it was no one other than Veemon, a look of malice painted on his face.

"For the last time Davis, just STOP IT! I can't stand it when you torture me to no end! You think I'm going to sit back and watch you ruin something that I might have a chance with Gatomon at because you _**can't**_ have one with someone else, huh? Wait, I can word that statement better than that, here it is. You will _**never**_ have a girlfriend simply because you're an over compulsive jackass who would probably have a real tight leash wrapped around her. So just out of spite, you thought you could ruin something that I've been wanting for months now, am I right?"

Davis didn't give an answer; he was still shocked at the fact that Veemon performed that action of knocking his device downwards. "OK then, now that we have that all settled," Veemon started as he walked across the bridge, "it is _**I**_ that needs some alone time. Don't come crying for my help when you need it; you won't get it at all!" With that statement, Veemon fled from his partner, leaving him distressed at what just went down.

* * *

"I swear, I know that Davis and Veemon are up to something" TK sighed. He and Kari have been waiting for over forty-five minutes for the duo to get back from whatever they were doing.

"Don't be like that TK; I'm pretty sure that they are just clearing their heads or something…" Kari reassured her friend, but to no avail.

While the two continued their conversation, Patamon and Gatomon decided to start one of their own.

"So, how are things between you and Veemon," Patamon decided to ask.

"Oh, you know, it's going good between us, still friends and all…" Gatomon replied back.

"I see, so when will you actually make a move on him, hmm." Patamon stated while using one of his wings to nudge Gatomon.

"I don't really know, I mean, I like us being close friends and all but I'm not sure when a good time to tell him is." Gatomon explained.

"You guys will feel it; when the time's right, you guys will be official. Have you told Kari anything?" Patamon stated.

Gatomon quickly gave a look at Kari's direction, seeing her in a conversation of her own. "No…I mean; she knows that Veemon and I are friends, but she doesn't know that I like him more than that." The white feline quickly gave a sigh of disappointment.

"Well, when the time comes to tell her, you'll know; just ease her right into what you are feeling and she should be able to understand." Patamon stated with a smile on his face.

"You're right; when the time comes, I'll tell her. Thanks again Patamon." Gatomon said while giving the bat like creature a hug.

"Anytime you want to talk, I'm here." Patamon told his friend while returning the hug.

Suddenly, everyone was taken off guard by a loud roar and a scream.

"Oh dear, look who was right…" TK annoyingly stated. "I'm too good of a friend to know when something will happen to Davis, and I was right."

"I hope he's OK," Kari said, showing a state of worry in her voice.

* * *

"Alright student, raise you _bokken_ firmly upward and strike down." Cody ordered the Gazimon. Since all the work was done, Cody decided to teach some of the Gazimon a thing or two about kendo. His best approach was to use the leftover sticks that Armadillomon collected as _bokken_, or wooden swords.

The Gazimon followed their instructor and performed the move. Cody was looking well pleased with his group…even if he had to drown out his own partner, who was busy away slurping up the leftover soup that he could enjoy.

"Oh Cody thank you, thanks a bunch." Armadillomon gasped for air before returning to devouring his meal. Cody annoyingly sighed, upset over his partner's lack of manners.

Cody quickly instructed the Gazimon to keep practicing the moves that they were taught as he had a quick word with RedVegiemon. "Thank you for allowing me to teach." Cody politely bowed to the Champion level digimon.

"Oh, no problem," RedVegiemon stated, "it is I who should be thanking you; without you or your partner, I'm not sure how much work could have gotten done."

"On behalf of my partner, thank you for allowing him to eat whatever was left over…though I must apologize for the way he's eating." Cody looked back to see the armadillo with his face stuffed into the large bowl, munching away.

"It's not a problem, he deserved it." RedVegiemon stated. Suddenly the group was interrupted with a scream and a load roar off in the distance.

"That sounded a little like Davis; I hope he didn't cause too much trouble." Cody stated.

"Well, whatever that thing was, he's not getting my food, that's for sure." Armadillomon grabbed the bowl with his claws and pushed the bowl closer to him, almost hiding it from the potential beast.

* * *

Davis breathed a sigh of relief as he found his D-Terminal washed up on the shore. _'Well, it could be worse; it could have been lost forever…'_ Davis harshly pondered as he remembered the event that led to him scaling down the cliff to retrieve his device.

"I swear, why did Veemon get so worked up over nothing; it wasn't like anything serious…I just wanted to know how he and Gatomon was moving along." Davis told himself.

Davis decided to move himself to the matter at stake right now, which was seeing if his D-Terminal still worked. Opening it up, he saw the inside cover overflowing with water.

"Well, guess like I'll need Izzy's help to get this fixed…" Davis exclaimed, still ticked off at his partner's actions. Davis continued to look over the device until he felt something under his feet. Looking down, he saw a real, thick grey substance of what appeared to be goo right under him.

"Yuck! What is this?" Davis spurted out. Suddenly, a low noise came from right beside him; looking in that direction, he saw a Tortomon with his left leg strangely bent upward. _'Oh…my…' _Davis didn't have time to think about finishing his statement at he _**now**_ realized what he stepped in.

The Tortomon looked vigorously at Davis before bellowing out a loud roar that was heard across the land. Davis yelped out a scream as he ran from the displeased Tortomon, still baffled that the human interrupted him during his…business. Feeling enraged at the child, Tortomon took off after him.

* * *

"OK, I think that's the last boat." Yolei said half excited, half tired as her crew got done rebuilding all the boats and the pier, as well as cleaning up the whole beach. Feeling the need to relax, Yolei dropped to the sand and lied in the substance.

Her peace and quiet was mildly interrupted by the Tortomon's roar and Davis' scream, but she was _**fully**_ interrupted when Hawkmon came upon the girl. "Yolei, you need to move, _**now**_!"

Upon hearing what Hawkmon said, Yolei decided to see what her partner was trying to say…when she saw Davis running towards her.

"Oh for the love of…hey Davis, why aren't you working huh? Think you're too important or something?" Yolei's little rant didn't come across to the leader as he kept on running.

"I swear that boy is sure…" Yolei didn't have time to finish her statement as a very enraged Tortomon came rampaging after Davis. Without hesitation, Yolei sprinted off to the side, avoiding being trampled by the Champion reptile. However, two of the boats that were laid out on the beach didn't make Tortomon run around them, as he simply ran right into them!

"Ohh…" Yolei winced out as she saw the two boats take massive damage by Tortomon's rampage. "This will take at least another hour to rebuild…"

Hawkmon couldn't help but to snicker at his partner's little tantrum. "Yolei, did you forget to knock on the wood earlier?"

Yolei gave a cold glare back at Hawkmon. Man, if looks could kill…

* * *

Veemon was fairing off real well, simply trudging along the forest as he tried to forget his meltdown with Davis. _'Honestly, why did he have to go there…he knew I didn't want to talk about the situation; I already told him not to, but he still kept bringing it up'_ Veemon silently whispered in rage.

Clearly seeing that the forest was ending and a wide plateau was forming, Veemon decided to take a few steps out from the forest and lay down, enjoying the soft grass under his body. His breathing steadied a bit as he cleared his mind from Davis.

"Hey…don't I know you from somewhere?" A voice asked from the distance.

Sighing a little in annoyance, Veemon looked up to see where that voice came from. What he found didn't come to him as a surprise, as it was the Drimogemon that the group helped freed from the Emperor just a few months ago.

Veemon couldn't help but to smile at his known acquaintance. "Hey Drimogemon…how are things with you." Veemon decided to be nice and thought that a talk would calm him down.

"Not much, you know, just trying to stay free from the Emperor and all…" the Champion mole replied back.

"…Drimogemon, you do realize that the Emperor is gone right?" Veemon questioned.

Drimogemon facial expression read out as though he thought he won the lottery. "Really…the Emperor is gone?" Veemon nodded a yes to him. "Finally! Oh buddy, I can't thank you enough," Drimogemon made his way to the small dragon and planted a bear hug on the poor rookie.

After a few seconds, Drimogemon set Veemon free from the death grasp as Veemon fell to the ground pretty hard. "No problem." Veemon was clearly annoyed now by _**two**_ of his friends.

"Seems like you have something on your mind, want to talk about it." Drimogemon asked.

Veemon sighed _'Well, it's better than doing nothing…'_ "Alright fine, my partner, Davis, and I got into a little scuffle and I was just out here clearing my head, that's all that happened."

"What was this scuffle about," Drimogemon asked.

Veemon yet again sighed _'Well, guess like I need to inform him of everything…' _"The scuffle started after he kept asking me about me and Gatomon on our friendship, that's all."

Drimogemon nodded. "I see…look I need to get going, don't want to be dead meat to the Tortomon that lives around here." As Drimogemon made his way back to his way of transportation, a massive crater, Veemon stopped him.

"Wait, there's a Tortomon around here?" Veemon asked, now showing some, maybe a little, concern for Davis' well-being.

"Yeah, he's a real pain in the rear! You never want to mess with him unless…oh, no." Drimogemon was caught off-guard by looking up at the near cliff side to see a human up there. "Yep, someone got Tortomon real good."

"That looks like Davis; Drimogemon, I need you to transport me up there pronto!" Veemon ordered.

"Well, I don't know if that's a good idea; I mean, that's a high cliff…you fall, then die, it's not a good way to go out."

Veemon didn't know whether to simply hit Drimogemon for not following his order or to kill him due to his little statement. Breathing out a _**very **_annoyed sigh, Veemon mounted Drimogemon's back and, after kicking him in the sides, ordered him to start digging underground in order to get up to the cliff.

* * *

'_Oh dear, I'm a goner, I'm a goner for sure…'_ Davis was freaking out as the Tortomon came closer to him. Seeing that he was on top of a cliff didn't make matters all the better. "Oh, I don't care if I hate him or not at the moment, I wish that Veemon was here to protect me."

At that cue, just as the Tortomon was about to pounce on the young lad, Drimogemon drilled out from the underground with Veemon on his back.

"Veemon, help," Davis exclaimed to his partner.

"Hold on Davis, I'm coming to save you," Veemon exclaimed back as he leapt off of Drimogemon's back and ran to save his friend. Suddenly, Davis' digivice started to glow.

"What's going on?" Davis wondered aloud as he saw Veemon being engulfed into a bright fluorescent light.

**Veemon Digivolve to…ExVeemon**

"Digivolved? Veemon, you digivolved…" Davis sounded puzzled at this newly occurred moment.

Where Veemon once stood now stood a Champion digimon about four times bigger than Veemon. This creature had the same features of Veemon with the exception of an oddly-shaped 'X' on his torso and wings sprouting from his back.

"Don't worry Davis, I got your back." ExVeemon exclaimed as he used his Vee-Laser attack to directly hit Tortomon, causing the reptile to fall back. ExVeemon came up from behind Tortomon and, just as he saw Davis using Mario to defeat Bowser in one of his many video games, began to spin Tortomon around and around before flinging him off of the cliff.

"Wow, ExVeemon, that was amazing…thanks again." Davis started to walk towards Veemon, who dedigivolved from ExVeemon. However, the expression that was on Veemon's face halted Davis in his tracks.

"You're lucky that I only digivolve when you are in trouble. I decided on my little walkabout that I need some more time alone, so I'm spending the night here with Drimogemon."

Davis was taken aback at what his partner stated to him. He then turned his attention to the huge mole still in his crater. "Hey Davis, hope you don't mind." Drimogemon waved a paw, hoping to get some sort of feedback from the enraged lad.

"Why would I mind, take all the time you need…jerk." With that last bashing statement, Davis made his way down the cliff and back to where his friends were, hoping that they were not _**too**_ upset over his long absence…

* * *

"_**There**_ you are…we've been worried sick about you." Kari stated as Davis approached the rest of the group.

"Sorry guys, I got a little tangled up in a situation." Davis explained.

"Did it have to do with that Tortomon that I heard back in the city?" Cody asked and got a response from Davis' nod.

"Well, _**thanks**_ to whatever you did to him, I had to rebuild two boats; that's two more that I wanted to build today!" Yolei shot off at him.

"Yolei, please, the important thing is that Davis is alright," TK stated, but then asked," Where's Veemon?"

"He's going to stay here for the night; we kind of got into a little heated argument and its best that we took some time apart for now." Davis explained.

Not wanting to explain anymore to them, Davis led the group out of the Digital World and into the Real World, where it was real late. _'Hope that Mom and Dad don't mind…'_ Davis silently pondered to himself as he sprinted home.

* * *

"Where have you been mister, your mother and I were worried sick about you?" Davis' father lashed out at his son.

'_Well, so much for thinking that they would mind…'_ "Sorry Dad, and sorry Mom, but I just got carried away with a school project and I forgot to call you and the time went by so fast…" Davis was hoping that his little white lie would get by with his parents.

"You've been having a lot of these late nights, honey," Davis' mother rebutted at him, "are you sure it's nothing more than school work."

"Jeez, what else do you want from me. It was _**just**_ schoolwork; it's almost the end of the term and I don't want my grades to slip, is that so much to ask?" Davis just felt as though dealing with his parents was too much from the day that he has had and made his way towards his bedroom.

Laying down after getting ready for bed, Davis couldn't help but to ponder one simple notion. _'How long will this charade keep up, just telling them it's for school. Pretty soon, school will be done with for a while and _then _what will be my excuse then…wonder if the guys should know about this…'_ Without a second thought, Davis started his computer up and, in a matter of minutes, sent out a message to the rest of the digidestined, seeing that his D-Terminal would have to be fixed. Taking that thought for tomorrow, Davis drifted off to sleep.

MESSAGE  
From: Davis  
To: Group DigiDestined  
Subject: …

'Look guys, I don't know about you but I want to tell my family what's been happening…'

* * *

**Alright guys, so here is Chapter 1. Again, I am still planning the rest of this revision out and, along with two one-shots that I need to do and add another chapter to my 'novelization,' I'm going to be swamped! If you guys want to give me ideas, your thoughts on what I should add/remove to make my story good, let me know either by reviewing or by PM and I can try to reason with you. Until next time, this is IrishPanther signing off!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again, Irish back bringing you Chapter 2 of my revision. In case I didn't mention this last chapter, I'm going off of the English dub version of the show, so in case any of you were interested, the ages for the digidestined are as followed:**

**Davis - 13  
Yolei - 13  
TK - 12  
Kari - 13  
Ken - 13  
Cody - 10**

**So there you have it! Once again, read, review, and enjoy!**

* * *

TK was just getting ready to lie down into his bed, careful not to wake Patamon up since he was already snoozing away. He couldn't really blame the little rookie; today was a hard day, and tomorrow might be one as well. Just then, a beep came from his D-Terminal; curious to see who it was, he wandered over to his desk and flipped it over, reading the message inside.

"What…c'mon Davis, why would you want to do that for?" TK whispered to himself. Without any hesitation, he decided to send his friend a quick reply before heading off to bed.

MESSAGE  
From: TK  
To: Davis  
Subject: Reply

'Ok man, what's up with this now? Meet me outside of school tomorrow around 6 AM…who knows, maybe a little one-on-one could do us good =P'

Davis looked on the computer to see that TK took the time to reply to his original message. Anxious about tomorrow morning to come, he laid in his bed, waiting for sleep to come upon him.

* * *

In another part of Japan, Tamachi to be precise, another boy was getting ready for some deep slumber, but not after thinking about the type of day that he has had. Ken Ichijouji, boy genius and former Digimon Emperor, was trying his best to unravel the events that occurred today. After his fallout as the Emperor and witnessing his partner, Wormmon, dying right in his arms, Ken thought that some searching would be good for him. What was he searching for, you may ask? He was searching for his heart. After his little demise, he began his search for it. It led him to remember his older brother, Sam, and the tragic event that Ken supposed led up to his death.

'_How cruel was I to wish that my own brother was gone? I mean, I was just a kid, I didn't know any better…'_ Ken tried to hold back tears, but he was struggling. He felt like that is all he wanted to do all day long; simply cry everything out. However, with this bit of sorrow came some joy. Ken reunited with his partner back in Primary Village, who is now in his In-Training form known as Leafmon, and has come to terms with his parents, promising to open up to them more and wanting their love and support again.

Ken looked up from his desk to see Leafmon, sleeping away, and couldn't help but to smile at the cute little digimon. Still, even with the joy he has been given, he still felt hurt from the destruction that he has done on the Digital World. _'Starting tomorrow, I'm going to fix my mistakes…I'm going to turn a new leaf over and change everything all by myself.'_ With that thought in his head, Ken succumbed off to his bed and slept. Unbeknownst to him, his computer on his desk started to type away an eerie message, something that Ken will soon realize, and when that happens, he will soon wish that everything would go back to normal…

* * *

Up bright and early and awaiting the janitor that comes to open to doors to the school, Davis was very eager to have his little one-on-one with TK. When the janitor finally arrived, he was dazzled to not only see a student waiting for him, but turns out that the student is Davis. Nonetheless, he allowed the teenager access into the school and, eventually, the gym, where he brought a rack of basketballs out and started to warm up. _'Oh TK, you are _**so** _done man, when I'm through with you…'_ Davis' thought was interrupted as he heard the double doors open to find a very shocked TK.

"Hey man, ready for that one-on-one," Davis exclaimed over to his friend, who only sighed and shook his head.

"Um, yeah, but it isn't this type of one-on-one that I was talking about." TK explained.

Davis, who was in the middle of a shot, let the ball simply drop to the wooded floor. "What, but…oh c'mon, you know a rematch needs to be done."

"I know, another time though; right now, we need to talk about that message you sent out." TK stated as he brought his book bag up from his back and unzipped it, unveiling a very out-of-breath Patamon.

"Finally…I didn't know…how long I could…have done that for." The little bat like creature said while excusing himself from his partner's backpack and found a place for him on the floor.

"OK then, so let's talk," Davis got over his disappointment with the no rematch happening and parked himself on the floor next to TK and Patamon.

"Alright then, what do you mean you want to tell your family about what's been going on," TK asked firmly.

"I had a run-in with them last night when I got home…I was just thinking that with the whole 'cleaning up the Digital World' stuff that we are going to be doing, I thought it would be best just to let them know instead of hiding it from them." Davis explained.

"Still, you never expressed anything like this before, why now?" TK asked.

"I'm just worried that something will happen here in the real world and we would have to use our digimon here; I'm just making sure that my family would be alright with a small creature living in our apartment instead of having to rapidly explain what's been going on. I'm just trying to make this process easy for my family to understand."

TK breathed out a sigh before continuing. "I'm pretty sure you and I both know is because you and Veemon had a little argument, and you would feel best to exploit him to your family in order to get back at him, am I right?"

"You kind of are…I guess I was just upset with what happened yesterday and I needed to blow off some steam. Maybe I wanted to catch Veemon off guard when I introduced him, but now that doesn't seem like a good idea…for now." Davis stated.

"So, where is Veemon," Patamon chimed in.

"He stayed in the Digital World with Drimogemon last night, something about clearing his head as well…" Davis replied back.

"Clear his head about what?" Patamon retorted back.

"…about a certain scenario that we both argued about; look, I don't feel comfortable talking about it right now." Davis stated.

"OK, we just wanted to know," TK said. The two continued to sit in silence before Davis got up from his sitting position and headed towards the door. "I need to clear my head as well right now; I'll catch you in class. Thanks again for your help." And just like that, Davis exited the gym.

"Yep, no problem," TK stated before turning his attention to Patamon, "Do you know anything about this little argument?"

"Well, the only thing I would know is…" Patamon was about to say before stopping himself short.

"What were you going to say?" TK asked him.

Patamon let out a small sigh before stating, "What I need to say stays between us, OK?" TK nodded before Patamon continued, "I think it's about Veemon and Gatomon's little relationship."

TK couldn't believe what he just heard. "Veemon and Gatomon…in a relationship," he gawkily asked.

"Well, more like a friendship type thing, but they are getting closer…I can tell, I helped them out after all." Patamon explained.

"When did this happen…" TK asked Patamon in which he explained to TK about what he saw the night back in the cave, the one-on-one conversation with both Veemon and Gatomon, overhearing them talking about 'waiting a while…'

"So you did all of this?" TK asked his partner.

Patamon happily nodded. "Yep, guess like I played matchmaker."

"That was very nice of you to do, but I got to ask: why did you do it?" TK asked.

"Well, I kind of pondered that maybe if I helped them out, then they could help me out…you know, when I need help in a relationship," Patamon wearily added, playing with his paws nervously.

"So you don't see Gatomon like that?" TK asked.

Patamon shook his head wearily. "No…I never really had any feelings with her besides being a loyal friend to her and what other good way to be loyal is to show you who you need to focus on…you know…the one you love."

"I see…you know something Patamon, I have a hunch that Gatomon and Veemon would be happy to hear this from you, but you can tell them when you're ready. I also have a good feeling that, when the time comes for you and that special someone, they both will help you out." TK explained as he gave his partner a hug.

"Thanks for that TK…I needed it." Patamon replied back.

"Not a problem, now come on." TK ushered Patamon over to his backpack and, though annoyingly sighing, Patamon got into TK's backpack as the both of them continued on with their day, leaving the gym opened for anyone to use before school hours start.

* * *

Primary Village has seen better days…way, way better days. The mess that Ken left for the digidestined would be an understatement had the ruins been called a simple mess. Buildings were torn up, bridged were destroyed…a population of what should have been hundreds upon hundreds of baby digimon is left with nobody in sight.

"How dare he, someone as cruel as he is could do so much damage like this and leave…utterly despicable." Davis let out as he looked upon the village with the rest of the group.

"I agree with you Davis," Cody spoke up, "this is a horrible sight to even be seeing…I wish nothing but pain for Ken."

TK, Kari, and Yolei were all taken back by Cody's words. They never heard the youngster talk so ill of someone before. "Look guys, we can talk about how bad the Emperor is all we want, but nothing is going to get done unless we do something, so can we please let this aside and fix Primary Village up…for the newborn digimon," Kari tried to reassure the two boys, which worked perfectly as both agreed to help rebuild the once happy place.

Hours seemed to have gone by without the digidestined and their digimon knowing, until they noticed the sky turning an amber-filled color as the sun was setting. They looked at the work they accomplished in such a little amount of time; however, there was still more to do…

"Look, you guys can discuss what should be done and let me know…I'm going to look for Veemon." Davis didn't want to admit, but he surely missed his partner a lot. Departing from the rest of the group, they continued their discussion on what action needed to take place.

"We don't have school tomorrow, so it would be a perfect thing to just sneak in early and get this done." Yolei stated to the rest.

"I guess that could work, does that go well with you guys," Kari asked both TK and Cody.

"It's fine with me," Cody coldly stated, still feeling upset over Ken's actions.

TK took notice of this and decided to bring up a question. "Look guys, I think we need Ken here to help us…" TK hoped that this would be a quiet discussion about what he was thinking about; boy, did he think wrong.

"Are you out of your mind? You want the same person who made this village into a dump!" Cody furiously stated at the teenager.

"I agree with Cody, why in the world would you want Ken here to help us!" Yolei quizzically stated.

"Look guys, TK just brought up a point; right now, we can't answer that…we still need to wait it out a few more days." Kari tried to reassure the group about what she thought.

Everyone looked at her and let out a sigh. It was pointless to talk about this matter at hand right now; agreeing to wait to converse about this with everyone, they decided to head back into the real world.

* * *

Davis was still on the hunt to find Veemon; darkness has already come upon the Digital World and he knew that his parents would be ticked if he came home late again. _'C'mon Vee, where could you possibly be at,'_ Davis thought.

"Davis," Davis turned to recognize his name being called and saw Veemon standing there out in the open.

"Hey, bud, ready to come home yet," Davis gave a weary smile at the rookie, hoping he was ready.

"Yeah, I'm ready to come home…besides, I miss you too much. Staying with Drimogemon is not a fun occurrence at all." Veemon started to rant on the previous night in which Drimogemon left Veemon in his cave all alone for most of the night to go hang with some other Champion digimon. He came back around morning looking exhausted and passed out for the rest of the day.

"I think he is _**still**_ sleeping, what do you think happened to him?" Veemon asked Davis.

Davis, learning about this known called side effect in health class, decided to give a shrug to Veemon and stated, "I don't know, maybe he was just tired, that's all."

"Well the place he went said that they only served Champion leveled digimon, whatever that meant…" Veemon scratched the back of his head, trying to piece together the night of his friend.

Finding the nearest television, they both ventured back into the real world and, getting home at a reasonable time, Davis wasn't met at home with another scolding from his parents. Looking over his computer, he saw that the rest would be meeting very early at the school grounds the next morning to finish up working on Primary Village. With that problem taken care of, Davis eventually got ready for bed and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Ken was amuck with the type of day that he had. Seeing this bizarre message when he woke up first thing in the morning sent chills running down his spine, though it was only made up of three words over and over again. I PITY YOU was drawn up from his computer and Ken felt sick to his stomach. Nonetheless, he continued on with his day but would get distracted from the message that he read.

Now that it is nighttime, all Ken wanted to do was to sleep, but alas he couldn't. He was trying to piece together was that message meant. All was dark until he saw an eerie light shining from his computer. Looking down, he saw this woman dressed in all satin red, with the exception of her violet arm-length gloves. Wearing a hat that covered the top of her white hair that draped down her back, Ken let out a gasp.

Overhearing this little stutter, the woman turned to Ken. Ken saw the woman face to face, though she was dawning on purple specks to cover her eyes. She let out a snarl of a smile before simply stating in a low growl, "You are not worth anything…pitiful you," and just like that, she disappeared from his computer.

'_What…what was that, and more importantly, who was she…'_ Ken didn't end up getting a wink of good sleep that night as he tried to piece together the event that just occurred.

* * *

"Alright guys, here we…" Davis was cut off from his sentence as he saw a couple of dozen Punimon at the group's feet.

"Hey, it's the humans," the Punimon rejoiced as they saw the people who helped rebuild their little nursery building.

"Wait…how did this happen," Yolei stated.

"Well, I guess that one building we spruced up was the nursery, so the digimon were able to come back," Kari stated.

"Well, that's a good thing; now all we need to do is fix the rest of this place up." TK added.

"Where do you think we should start at?" Cody asked.

"Uhh, how about I decide that…Veemon, are you ready?" Davis turned to his partner with his digivice grasped firmly in his hand. "You betcha," Veemon responded.

"Digi-Armor Energize!" Davis shouted out as Veemon was ready to digivolve.

**Veemon Digivolve to…ExVeemon…**

Except it wasn't ExVeemon standing, it was _**still**_ Veemon.

"Hey, what's the big idea…?" Veemon confusedly asked as to why he couldn't digivolve.

"Let's just try again," Davis suggested and, upon trying again, the same thing occurred.

"Davis…I don't think I can digivolve…" Veemon responded miserably.

"Hey buddy, don't worry about it," Armadillomon tried his best to reassure his friend, "we've all had those days when we were too tired out…"

"Yes I would agree," Hawkmon started off, "however, we haven't fought anybody recently…well at least _**we **_haven't. Are you sure you aren't feeling sick?"

"I'm positive, I just fought a few days ago and besides, I don't feel the least bit tired, hungry, or sick" Veemon retorted back to his friend.

"Well whatever it is, it might have to do with _**that**_ over there," Gatomon reassured to the group as she spotted a control spire nearby.

"What's _**that**_ doing there; I thought they would all be gone?" Yolei asked very astonish like.

"Well apparently, they aren't," Davis vigorously stated, "and they are causing my partner to not digivolve!"

"Davis, calm down," Kari stated, "look, maybe regular digivolving doesn't work, but that doesn't mean Armor digivolving won't work either."

Davis sighed before responding, "I guess you're right…" and before he could say anything else, Yolei interrupted him.

"Besides, I have the perfect little job for you," she stated grinning to Davis.

"Which is what now…" Davis just had to ask…

* * *

Only a few minutes went by, but Davis seemed to have been enjoying the presence of being around all of the Punimon. Since the group decided on the fact that Davis still needs to clear his head from Ken, a day off would do him wonders. So, he was kept in charge of entertaining the little Fresh digimon with Veemon while the others worked on rebuilding Primary Village back to its original state.

With the finding of a deflated beach ball near them, Davis thought of a way to easily distract the baby digimon. Once the ball was blown up, he kicked it high in the air and waiting for the evidential to take place…however, it simply bounced to the ground with all the Punimon looking confused at the ball.

"Hey Veemon, mind lending me a hand," Davis asked his partner.

"Sure thing buddy," Veemon replied, smiling and heading over to the ball, "Watch and do what I do everyone!" Veemon simply head butted the ball ever so lightly and the Punimon followed suit. Pretty soon, many of the Punimon were having a blast playing what seemed like volleyball instead of soccer, which was what Davis was aiming for but all things put aside, he settled on this idea even more.

"Well, I'm glad that he's having a good time dealing with the youngsters; he looks like a responsible kid…" Yolei felt astonish as those words left her mouth.

"Yes, yes he does," Hawkmon responded, flying next to her, "Now, can we please get back to work." Hawkmon reminded his partner and, after armor-digivolving into Halsemon, was off to help the rest work on the village.

* * *

"Boy, looking at this place sure makes me want to scream out, but I'm fine with fixing this underground sewer, how 'bout you Cody." Digmon asked his partner who was on top of his back.

'_I just don't understand it…one kid making _**this**_ much of a mess…I'm over thinking this, but it's not my fault'_ Cody was busy pondering over the chaotic mess until Digmon interrupted his thought process.

"Uhh, earth to Cody, didn't you hear me before?" Digmon asked his confused partner.

"Oh, yeah…sorry Digmon, I'm ready whenever you are." Cody responded.

The duo almost started to work until Cody felt something come across his face and slightly cut his cheek. Cody gasped out as he grabbed for his face, seeing a small amount of blood from the fresh cut on his hand. "Now what was _**that**_…?" Cody pondered aloud.

The two only saw what looked like a little small ball-like digimon with a lightning bolt on top of his head.

"Cody, that there is Thundermon. He might seem small but his Thunder Ball attack could send electricity shocks as high as ten million volts, we better be careful of him or otherwise we got a real fight on our hands." Digmon explained.

"Wait…a fight," Cody protested, "but he's not controlled by anything…no dark ring, nothing. I just don't get it; why is he attacking us all of a sudden and why do we need to fight?"

Thundermon started to swoop around Digmon, causing the Armor Leveled digimon to go a bit haywire and started to swing at the very small Champion.

"Digmon, stop, you can't just destroy him; he's a digimon after all, where will that put us if we kill him." Cody tried his best to preach out to Digmon, but he was having no luck. _'Why can't Digmon understand, I can't fight because I don't want to kill…'_

Thundermon unleashed his Thunder Ball attack, shocking enough energy into Digmon while at the same time blowing up more of the sewer. The rest of the group, not that far away from the scene, gasped in surprise when they saw the explosion.

"What was that," Kari asked.

"I…I don't know, hopefully Cody's OK though," TK responded back.

Inside the sewer, Digmon took a huge amount of damage from the strike that he de-digivolved back into Armadillomon, which caused both he and Cody to fall towards the ground of the sewer.

"I'm guessing this is it buddy…" Armadillomon choked out as a huge boulder slowly came crashing down onto the pair.

'_No, I don't want to end like this…'_ Cody thought up and, just like that, his digivice started to give off a glow.

**Armadillomon Digivolve to…Ankylomon**

"Wha…what happened, you digivolved?" Cody was taken aback by this procedure.

"Apparently I did," Ankylomon stated. Ankylomon's appearance looked astonishing to Cody. He was easily the same size, maybe a bit bigger, than Digmon. He had spikes all around his body with one kind of amazing factor: his tail, which at the end of it had a spiked ball attached to it.

Ankylomon took Cody out of the sewer and placed him outside on the ground, telling the young lad to take cover. "Wait, you aren't going to fight him, right?" Cody asked.

"Well what else do you want me to do…?" Ankylomon retorted to his partner. When no response was given, Ankylomon looked around to even have an inkling of where the little Champion digimon may be at.

Ankylomon spotted Thundermon right above him and, looking down at Cody, the spiteful Champion swooped down, ready to attack the young boy once again.

Cody saw Thundermon coming and closed his eyes, preparing for the worst…but it never came. Opening his eyes, he saw that he was…flying. _'Wait, where am I…and _**who**_ is this…' _Cody was speaking in reference to the dark green insect that had just saved him from mayhem.

Setting Cody down towards the rest of the group, the Champion insect was busy circling around with Thundermon, trying to gain the upper hand. Ankylomon, seeing that he was not needed, trudged over to Cody. "Are you alright," he asked Cody. Cody responded with a weary nod.

The little cat-mouse game took just enough time for Davis and Veemon to realize what has been going on. Distracted with the Punimon, they both ran over to see what was going on.

The insect digimon had enough of this foolishness and decided to take out Thundermon once and for all. Having the spikes on his shoulders standing upright and allowing a pink spike to grow onto his forearm, he charged towards the Champion and, with his Spiking Strike attack, was able to finish off the little nuisance once and for all.

"What…what just happened?" Davis was left speechless as he saw this digimon kill of another digimon for no apparent reason.

"He…he killed Thundermon." Cody's words left him in a harsh manner. '_I wonder who is behind this…'_

Cody's pondering was all for nothing as the figure that was standing behind one of the building's rooftop designs stepped out from the shadow, revealing himself to be no other than…

"Ken!" Davis exclaimed, seeing the boy prodigy in the flesh.

"What is he doing in the Digital World?" Kari asked before the insect came swooping down over the group and over to Ken, to which he de-digivolved to…

"Wormmon," TK stuttered out, "that creature that killed Thundermon was Wormmon…"

Ken, wanting nothing to do with the group for now, decided to make his escape fast and departed from the rooftop.

* * *

"Unbelievable…" Kari was still stunned with what just occurred. The rest of the digidestined were busy sitting down on the swings as they watched Davis continue to play with the Punimon.

"I can't believe that that still happened," Patamon chimed in from TK's head.

"Yeah, well I can't believe that _**that's**_ gone…" Gatomon said while looking over to where the control spire used to be standing.

"It's gone…but how can that be," Yolei asked flabbergasted.

"I don't know," Cody stated before looking down at Armadillomon, "but that must have been the reason for you to digivolve."

"You may be right Cody," the tired out rookie stated to his partner.

Meanwhile, walking away into the sunset, Ken couldn't help but to ponder what has been occurring the past few nights. "How are you holding up, Wormmon," he decided to ask his partner who was in him arms.

"I'm alright…but how are you doing?" Wormmon retorted.

"I don't honestly know…I feel like more needs to be done around here, but I can't do it alone…maybe it's time to ask the rest for my assistance…" Ken stated to his tired digimon. Seeing at how these last few days have gone for him, maybe a little reassurance wouldn't be that hard to get…

* * *

Cody was straight up furious over the events that led him to act out in his kendo practice with his master, Chikara Hida, who also was Cody's grandfather. Seeing how his young pupil and grandson was acting out by striking at his head repeatedly, Chikara decided to one-up his strategy, which ended in Cody's downfall.

Once they were settled down from their practice, Chikara decided to spend some time to talk with Cody over a new product that he has decided to try out.

"Here, have some of this," Chikara asked Cody as, in his hand, was a packet of liquid yogurt.

Cody was astonished by this notion, as he knows that his grandfather normally drinks prune juice. Nonetheless, he accepted his grandfather's gift before asking, "Not to be rude, grandfather, but why liquid yogurt all of a sudden."

"You know something," Chikara started out, "I always thought that one day, prune juice wouldn't be available to me, so I searched for the next best thing…which I thought were these yummy liquid yogurt packs." He smiled as he enjoyed his product.

"I see grandfather," Cody retorted before trying the yogurt himself. After a few sips, he looked up, "You know, these aren't that bad…" Cody stated with a smile on his face.

"Ah, you see Cody, you can have one opinion on something, but until you give it a try, you may never know the outcome." As Chikara continued to enjoy his yogurt, Cody couldn't help but to think about what his grandfather just stated to him.

'_Why does this hit at home so much…I have an opinion on Ken, but if I don't give him a try…does he mean that I should try to give Ken a chance…?'_ With this thought circling around his head, Cody silently drank his yogurt in silence, surprised yet outraged at his grandfather's words. _'If only he knew how much that hit home…'  
_

* * *

**Well, there you have it guys...slowly this story is starting to make some sense now, eh. Hopefully it is. Up next, I need to update my novelization before I begin working on my next chapter. In case any of you are wondering, this little revision's first few chapters will stay kind of strict to the episodes of Digimon (took this chapter from "If I Had A Tailhammer...) and next chapter will be about Yolei and her digivolution. Once that's done, the main story can kind of actually begin. Until next time, this is IrishPanther signing off!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello once again everybody, this is Irish with another chapter to the revision. I kind of intertwined some of the beginning of Ep. 26 into this chapter - which is mostly Ep. 25. I can clearly say that, after this chapter, things will take a huge turn...you'll just have to wait for my next update ;) But for now, please read, review, and enjoy!**

* * *

Getting ready for bed that night, Cody couldn't help but to be thinking still of his grandfather's words. Certainly, he was trying to find a message in his grandfather's saying that could relate to the whole fiasco that has been going on during the past few days.

"Don't worry about it too much Cody," Upamon stated, bouncing towards his partner's bed, "you need to rest up for a big day tomorrow!"

Since the digidestined knew it was Sunday tomorrow, they decided to redo today's actions, by waking up early and heading off to the Digital World to try to restore it to the way that it was before the Digimon Emperor wreaked havoc on it.

Cody looked down at the little In-Training digimon and gave a weak smile. "I know I have a big day tomorrow, Upamon. I just can't get today out of my head…I mean, why did Ken save me from Thundermon?"

"Who knows Cody, just try to get some shut-eye why don't you…" Upamon tried to reassure the very stressed-out young boy, but failed.

"I wish I could, but I just _**can't**_…especially after what grandpa told me…about giving something a try first before you make assumptions." Cody was certainly confused on his grandfather's words. _'Maybe I'm not confused…maybe I know what my grandpa's talking about…maybe it's me.'_

Cody pondered on this little notion for a bit. Maybe he wasn't ready to accept Ken into the group because of what he had done. It then finally dawned on him. _'I'm just haven't given Ken a chance…I've been demonizing him due to the whole Emperor crisis.'_ Cody had a smile on his face and, deciding to not stress about the situation anymore till the next morning, went into his bed and drifted off into sleep with Upamon following short after.

* * *

Ken was tossing and turning around in his bed, obviously still affected from the previous days' occurrence. He never noticed that lady before, but she suddenly appeared and disappeared without a trace, leaving the young prodigy shaken. Leafmon couldn't help but to feel helpless in a situation like this, but he tried to remain calm and return to sleep…however, this little plan failed as Ken sprang out of his sleeping position, deeply breathing and looking weary eyed.

"Ken, are you OK," Leafmon asked wearily.

"No, Leafmon, I'm not," Ken stated back. "I just saw that lady again…"

"Tell me more," Leafmon pleaded for his partner to open up.

Ken sighed and looked at the clock on the wall, reading 2:00. _'Well, I got nothing better to do and talking about it might help…'_ Ken breathed in and out before starting. "Well, this lady kept on stating that the old reign is over and a new one is just beginning…I then saw something phenomenal, but frightening; she was plucking her hairs out and placed them into the control spires, thus creating powerful digimon…maybe _**that's**_ what Thundermon was; he was a control spiraled made digimon!" Ken stated this with jubilation, figuring out the woman's plan.

"So what do we do now?" Leafmon asked.

Ken pondered for a minute before speaking, "You know what, in a few hours, we'll head into the Digital World and destroy control spires non-stop so that she can't use them! She thought that she could one-up me, well she was _**so**_ wrong…" With Ken's planning already done, he decided to return to sleep, having to activate his plan within a few hours.

* * *

The digidestined were hard at work in the Digital World, well early into the morning sunrise. They are found a smashed bridge that needed to be worked on and, sure enough, in a matter of an hour the group was relaxing while looking over their hard labored work.

"Well, that went off without a hitch." TK stated.

"Yeah, but I got a feeling that something's going to happen," Kari replied back.

Just as those words exited Kari's mouth, a strangle rumble was heard in the trees and sure enough, an enraged digimon came out from the woods and, sliding down the cliff, started to make its way towards the bridge.

"What do you think he's doing?" Yolei asked.

"I don't know, just admiring the scenery maybe…" Davis replied.

"Oh, he's not admiring, he wants that bridge destroyed," Gatomon stated, "that thing's a Minotarumon, and his Earthquake Drill will certainly clobber all of our hard work."

"Not if I have something to say about it," Davis stated while turning to his partner, "Veemon, let him have it."

"Davis, I just got done building a bridge and de-digivolving, let me relax for a few more minutes…" Veemon stated as he was lying down in the grass.

"Yeah, well in a few minutes, we are going to have to work on the bridge _**again**_, c'mon!" Davis ordered his partner and, while giving off an annoyed sigh, Veemon stood up and ran towards the Champion monster.

"Digi-Armor Energize!" Davis shouted while holding out his digivice.

**Veemon Armor Digivolve to…Raidramon, the Storm of Friendship**

Raidramon took off towards the Minotarumon, who would certainly do great damage to the bridge. While charging up his Lightning Blast attack, he launched it at Minotarumon…who just lifted his arm with the drill, pushed the attack aside and, instead of clobbering the bridge, clobbered Raidramon right into the water.

"Ooh, that's going to hurt," Kari winced at the pain that Raidramon received.

"Oh there is no way that I'm working on this again," Yolei stated before turning to her partner, "Hawkmon, let's go!"

Hawkmon let out a rude sigh. _'Well, so much for relaxing…'_ he silently whispered before flying in the air.

'Digi-Armor Energize!" Yolei exclaimed while holding her digivice.

**Hawkmon Armor-Digivolve to…Shurimon, the Samurai of Sincerity**

Shurimon took to the sky high above Minotarumon and attacked the Champion with his Double Stars. Though it barely did any effect on the Champion, it did distract him from his destruction, which allowed a soaked Raidramon to exit the water and to charge Minotarumon with his Electric Bite attack. Raidramon's bite went right into the right shoulder of the Champion beast, and when the armor digimon released from his bite, the others saw something very peculiar…

"What in the world…" Shurimon, being the closet one, commented on what he saw as a filling right where Minotarumon's skin on his shoulder should have been. The filling looked as though it was a control spire stuffed inside a digimon. With his cover blown, Minotarumon made his way up the cliff and departed into the woods.

"Guys, what was that all about," Cody stated to the two rookie digimon after both were done de-digivolving.

"Well, from what I saw, there was something that looked like a control spire right inside Minotarumon." Hawkmon explained.

"A…a control spire," Davis gawked out while looking on at Veemon, hoping that he was alright from that brutal hit.

"You don't think that Ken could be behind this," TK questioned to the group.

"I…I don't know; I mean, I thought he was done with these shenanigans" Kari said.

"You may never know with a kid like that," Gatomon replied, trying hard not to show concern for Veemon.

"Guys, I think we are thinking this too much," Cody spoke up, "Why don't we hold a discussion on our own times, when we aren't worried about fixing the Digital World."

"I agree with Cody," Veemon piped up, "plus, I'm really sore…and hungry."

"Same with me," Armadillomon commented, his claws rubbing against his stomach.

"We haven't really eaten anything filling since we wanted to come here so early," Patamon stated.

"Well then, I suggest we head back home, relax, get some food, and return here in a few hours," Yolei's suggestion gave way to the others, who all agreed and decided to head back home…for now.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ken was too determined to simply head home. He took the liberty to make him and Wormmon some breakfast and lunch, deciding to head out even before sunrise, to destroy as make control spires as possible. It was about a few hours into destroying that Ken decided to call it a break.

"It's about time…I'm exhausted," the little worm stated as he scrambled his way over to Ken, who had with him a little picnic basket.

"Don't get too comfy, we still need to destroy a lot more," Ken stated to his partner as he pulled out some assorted fruits for the digimon to munch on.

Wormmon took a miniature piece of peach from Ken's hand and started to munch on the fruit, grinning as though he hadn't eaten in weeks. _'Well, with all the work that he's done so far, he deserves a little rest and a bite to eat.'_ Ken ended his thought as he looked down at his partner, munching now on a grape. Seeing his digimon happy certainly made Ken happy and, since his reign as the Emperor ended and besides him being reunited with him at Primary Village, he shared a true heart-filled smile at his partner…something he never thought that he would do.

* * *

The injured Minotarumon made his way back to an area that looked very familiar to him; of course, he would recognize it very easily since it was the area in which he was created. Looking forward at his master, who looked very displeased, he begged for his mercy.

"Your highness, I did the best I could to foil the digidestined's plan but alas, they got to me too quickly," Minotarumon stated as he showed off the shoulder that was missing a huge chunk of his skin.

"Pitiful, absolutely pitiful," the master came forward to reveal who it was…and it turned out to be the same lady with the white hair, who wore a snare upon her face. "You expect me to forgive you after you failed miserably at the simple task."

"Well yes…I can do better next time, please Arukenimon…" Minotarumon tried to beg but was surely cut off.

"Silence," the woman, now known as Arukenimon, shushed her creation, "You failed me, plain and simple, and with that, I wish you nothing." Minotarumon let out a gasp, looking at the drill he possessed on his hand. Knowing what Arukenimon meant, he steered the drill towards his torso and, using his Earthquake Drill attack, was able to rid himself of Arukenimon's presence.

"Perfect," Arukenimon stated after watching the scene, wearing a sly grin, "ah well, time for Plan B." With that, she turned to her left to see another control spire. Ejecting a piece of her hair from her head, she moved towards the spire, a look of malice portrayed on her face.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Arukenimon, a familiar digimon was watching this scene take place and gasped at the sheer horror that was to come. _'I don't have time; I have to warn Mimi…'_ With that, Palmon dashed back to where her partner was.

Mimi Tachikawa was busy spending her day in the digital world with a bunch of YukimiBotamon as she fed them mini marshmallows. Looking at the cute little Fresh type digimon, Mimi delightedly gave a warm smile to them, having not a care in the world. She would hope that Palmon would return soon with some more marshmallows, as the ones that were being feasted on by the YukimiBotamon were quickly being devoured.

Within a few short seconds of pondering where she was, Mimi heard Palmon calling out her name. Turning to see the vegetation like digimon sprinting towards her, Mimi was definitely concerned. "Palmon, are you alright, what's wrong," Mimi asked.

Palmon was doing her best to catch her breath, but doing that while explaining what she saw was an utter mess. "Saw…woman…hair pulling…control spire…digimon coming here."

"Wait, a digimon coming _**here**_," Mimi gave her partner a started response. She then turned her attention to the near hundred-foot dam that kept the water from flowing down into the village below. "I hope it doesn't come to ruin the dam…" Mimi whispered.

In an instant, a Champion leveled digimon came crashing down in the middle of the dried-up river. The YukimiBotamon were frightened when they saw what appeared to be a Golemon. "Palmon, what is that," Mimi questioned, truly terrified.

"It's a Golemon," Palmon explained, "He's one tough Champion and his Rock Punch will only bring harm to whoever comes in its path."

Palmon, after explaining, wasted no time as she latched herself to a nearby tree. "Let's see how you like a little bit of Poison Ivy, mister." Before she could unleash her attack, however, Golemon spotted the rookie and, picking up a huge chunk of the dried up soil that broke apart due to the impact of his landing, flung it in her direction. Palmon was no match for the oncoming rock, as she felt the effect of the rock right in her stomach. Having the wind knocked out of her, Palmon fell to the ground, barely conscious.

"Palmon," Mimi exclaimed as she hurried over to aid her partner, "please tell me you are alright."

Palmon simply grumbled out a weary noise. "You'll be fine, I promise; just catch your breath." Mimi tried to reassure her partner, but she couldn't help but to look on as Golemon slowly made his way towards the dam. _'Anyone, please help…'_ Mimi silently cried out.

* * *

After a few hours relaxing back at home and, with some food in their systems, the digidestined and their digimon continued onward through a forest, trying to figure out where to head to next.

"So what's the plan here," Yolei questioned. "Just keep on walking till we see something."

"Well, that's the best plan that we came up with, so yeah," Davis retorted back.

"Fine by me," TK responded, not caring where the group headed to next.

"Same here," both Kari and Cody spoke in unison.

While the humans continued to trudge on, the digimon gave themselves room so they could discuss other matters.

"Hey Vee, how are you holding up," Gatomon asked, as his head was resting on her shoulder.

"I'm OK, never been better." Veemon tried to give the feline a sure smile, but it didn't get pass her that he was still hurt from the battle this morning.

"I know you aren't and I want you to be…" Gatomon's grip on Veemon's hand grew a little tighter as her nails caressed Veemon's fingers. Veemon felt this and gave a chuckle.

"Thanks for caring about my well-being," Veemon thanked her friend, to which Gatomon replied with a 'you're welcome.'

"Jeez louise, can't they just kiss or something…the suspense is killing me," Armadillomon droned out, easily sickened by the two love-birds ahead of him.

"Oh hush up will you," Hawkmon forced the armadillo to be silent, "let them do their own thing."

"Yeah, when they are ready to move to that status, they'll be ready…" Patamon commented.

"Well I'm pretty sure they are _**already**_ there," Armadillomon stated, still looking at the way Veemon and Gatomon currently were, still hand-in-hand.

"Hey guys, do you hear something," Davis beckoned to the group, which made everyone (especially Veemon) stood up and listen.

Up in the distance, a simple cry for help was being pleaded. Deciding to waste no time, the group armor-digivolved their respective partners and fled to the scene.

* * *

Kari was the first one to arrive to the scene, and what she saw stunned her. She saw her good friend Mimi weeping silently and cradling Palmon in her arms, while the YukimiBotamon were huddled close together, looking frightened.

"Mimi, what's the matter," Kari asked.

Mimi looked up to see her friend, along with the other digidestined. "Guys, there's a Golemon and he's going to break the dam!" Mimi exclaimed.

The group looked up the dried up river to see Golemon inching his way closer and closer to the dam.

"Alright guys, let's take him down," Davis ordered the digimon – who consisted of Raidramon, Shurimon, Digmon, Nefertimon, and Pegasusmon – to hurry and attack Golemon.

Raidramon took off, galloping on all fours as fast as possible to reach the Champion leveled digimon. Charging up a Thunder Blast attack, he used it but was not effective against Golemon, who insisted on climbing the dam to get to a higher surface.

"Guys, we need backup." Raidramon called out to the rest.

Digmon was quick to deliver his Gold Rush attack, but that did nothing to harm the Champion as he steadily went higher and higher. Nefertimon and Pegasusmon used their respective attacks, Cat's Eye Beam and Star Shower, to try to bring Golemon down, but those failed miserably. Seeing that he was close enough to the middle of the dam, which contained the seal of the dam, Golemon finally used his Rock Punch attack to crack open the seal.

"He's going to end up flooding the whole village; we need to fall back and create another dam." Shurimon stood back from the action in case a situation like this would occur.

"How do we do that now," Digmon retorted.

"Simple…you see all these trees; why not create a dam from that." Shurimon fired back at the beetle-like digimon, definitely not pleased with his attitude.

As quickly as they could, the others rushed back to construct Shurimon's idea, all except for Nefertimon, who fired a few Rosetta Stones into the opened hole to conceal the water.

"What in the world are they doing," Cody questioned as he saw the digimon retreating.

TK saw what Golemon was planning to do and gasped, "The others are quickly building another dam…otherwise; the village below will be destroyed."

Shurimon wasted no time in using his Grass Cutter attack to cut down as many trees as possible. When those trees weren't enough, Raidramon helped out with his Lightning Blade to successfully cut down the other trees.

With the trees that they needed in order to stretch across the dried-up soil, Nefertimon and Pegasusmon used their Golden Noose to tighten up the trees together before placing them down in the ground. Digmon finally used his attack, Rock Cracking, to create sort of an escape way for the water to flow into.

With this plan now completed, the others looked on to see that the water that wasn't plugged up by Nefertimon's attack was coming in quickly upon them. The digimon, upon seeing this, immediately got to higher ground and successfully saw their plan that worked out as the water flowed into the crack, making Golemon's attack on the village voided.

All began to celebrate, seeing that the village would be saved…until the YukimiBotamon's screeched in horror. To everyone's surprise, as they turned to see what could scare the Fresh leveled digimon, they saw Golemon continuing to climb the dam, looking for another way to bring it down.

"There's just no stopping that digimon," Cody stated.

"He wants to destroy the village and all the digimon that inhabit it," TK exclaimed.

"Well then, I guess we need to keep on fighting," Davis commented, but was quickly scolded by Yolei.

"Wait, why continue to fight if our digimon is only going to get beaten. There must be another way."

"Another way for what," Davis lashed out, "to see how to defeat Golemon? There's only one sure way of doing it."

"Davis, do you have any idea of what you are saying," Yolei asked.

"Of course I know what I'm saying, we need to kill Golemon before he destroys the village," Davis stated.

"There you go, if we kill Golemon, we won't be any better than Ken or Stingmon when they killed Thundermon." Yolei finished up her statement to see Davis looking at her irritably.

"Are you putting me on the same level as the former Emperor," Davis asked coldly.

Yolei was afraid to say anything, seeing how Davis was too pissed off to discuss the scenario at hand and knowing that he won't listen to her anyway after her comment.

"Guys, stop fighting," Kari said, "We need to come up with a plan quick to destroy Golemon." As she stated it, all of the digidestined looked on to see that their current battle was leading nowhere, as Golemon was not affected by any of the digimon's attacks.

"I got an idea," Mimi suddenly stated, "Does anyone know Ken's email address."

"I have it in my D-Terminal, how come," Yolei said as she handed her device to Mimi.

"Simple…I'm going to contact him for help." Mimi was already typing up a quick message while she stated that.

"Wait, why in the hell would you do something like that," Davis commented, overhearing the plan.

"Davis, he could help us out," Yolei tried to reassure her friend, but it was not working.

"How Yolei, because the only thing he will do is kill Golemon, and the last time I checked, you're too much of a puss to actually go through with that." With that last statement, Davis scoffed and folded his arms, knowing that he was right.

Yolei didn't know how to respond as she heard Shurimon grunting from a punch threw by Golemon, which made him fall to the hard ground and de-digivolve back into Hawkmon.

"Hawkmon," Yolei screamed out, seeing her partner unconscious on the ground, barely breathing.

The others did not fare well either, as Golemon, now on top of the dam, released his Sulfur Plume attack to wipe out the other digimon, who crashed into the ground and all de-digivolved back into their rookie forms.

Seeing as how he had no other distractions, Golemon raised his fist, ready to use another Rock Punch to bring the dam down…only to have it grabbed at the last minute by none other than…

"Stingmon," the others heard Ken from across the distance, "finish him off!"

Stingmon started to rapidly kick at Golemon, hoping that the attack would do some sort of damage.

"He's a very dependent friend to rely on now, isn't he," Mimi commented as she saw the boy genius helping out.

"Yeah, but why would he do it," Yolei started to ask, but there was no immediate response as a stirred murmur surprised the others. Everyone looked down to see Palmon starting to regain consciousness.

"Oh Palmon, I'm so glad you're OK," Mimi started to squeeze the poor rookie.

"I'm glad too Mimi but please, I need some air," Palmon faintly stated before being released.

"Are you OK," TK asked the vegetation like digimon.

"Yeah I'm fine, it's just that I saw this Golemon starting to attack the dam and…" her words were cut off as she turned to see the same digimon on top of the dam.

"You were knocked out for quite some time," Cody piped in.

"Palmon, what were you trying to tell me before you were knocked out," Mimi asked.

It took a minute to realize what Mimi was asking her, but she stated, "I saw this weird lady turn this control spire into that Golemon."

"Wait…a control spire into a digimon," Davis asked, flabbergasted at the statement. Palmon answered with a nod.

"That reminds me of that Minotarumon we fought earlier today," Kari stated as the group remembered the first encounter of the day.

"So that means the digimon is not real…" Yolei stated, very well shocked at what she said about Ken earlier. _'I can't believe it, he must have been saving us from Thundermon yesterday…how could I have been so blind, but I didn't know then…but I do know now.'_ Yolei finished up her statement with a low whispered 'sorry' to Ken. Suddenly, her digivice started to glow and, reaching down in her pocket to get it, she saw that Hawkmon was glowing as well.

The other digimon regained conscious in time to see Hawkmon strangely levitating to a standing position from his lying down position he was in.

"Hey Hawkmon, are you OK," Armadillomon asked.

"I don't really know," Hawkmon replied back.

With determination written on her face, Yolei held the digivice in her hand and turned to Hawkmon. "I think it's time…" and after she stated that, Hawkmon began to digivolve.

**Hawkmon Digivolve to…Aquilamon**

Yolei was impressed to see the transformation. From where her rookie partner use to stand, now stood a huge bird like creature with horns attached to his head.

"Alright Aquilamon, now it's time to fight," Yolei exclaimed, running up to her partner; however, looking across the riverbed, she saw Ken giving her a head nod, knowing that it is indeed time to fight.

Aquilamon took flight up to the dam to assist Stingmon against the spire-filled digimon. Using his Blast Rings attack, Aquilamon was able to take off most of Golemon's skin, revealing the spire shaped like him inside of him.

"Stingmon, go for him now," Aquilamon ordered. Stingmon, using his Spiking Strike attack, was able to crack the Golemon down to its feet.

"Finish him off," Stingmon now ordered Aquilamon and, now using his Grand Horn attack, obeyed the command and struck Golemon with enough force for the spiral to disintegrate.

"We did it," Yolei exclaimed, happy to see that the dam – and the village – will be safe.

Aquilamon swooped down near Yolei and de-digivolved back into Hawkmon. Not even touching the ground, he was swooped up into Yolei's arms and given a hug.

"Oh, thank you buddy; you saved a lot of innocent digimon." Yolei thanked her partner, and when she heard Hawkmon mumble a sort of acceptance, she let him go.

Yolei couldn't help but to see Ken all but disappear, with Stingmon nowhere to be seen. Wanting to give him thanks, she returned to the group and, asking for her D-Terminal back from Mimi, wrote him a message.

Within a few minutes, she was stunned to see that Ken responded back, asking her to meet him where his base is stranded. Asking the rest of the group, most of them agreed to go, all except for one…

"Look guys, I'm exhausted," Davis stated with a semi-conscious Veemon in his arms, "and Veemon here is feeling no better. I think I'm going to call it day. You guys do what you want." With that statement, he left for the nearest teleport back to Odaiba.

* * *

Seeing as how it would take less time to just head back and locate where Ken's base was instead of flying around aimlessly trying to search for it, the remaining people in the group – except for Mimi, who had to return home as well – found where Ken's base was located and teleported there from the computer lab back in school.

When they reached there, they could see why Ken wanted them to come. Tons of control spires were spread out across the area and according to Ken's message, if they wanted to help, they should meet him here. They immediately spotted Ken with Stingmon close to him.

"Well guys," TK stated, "I know what we need to do right now." Seeing as it was high noon when they started and around sunset when they finished, the group was able to destroy loads of control spires. After de-digivolving, the group sat down, truly exhausted from the long day that just occurred.

"Umm…hi," the digidestined were shocked to see Ken speaking to them. With their undivided attention, Ken politely bowed to them and continued to speak, "I will not hold anything back. I am truly sorry for all the destruction that I have caused here in the past. I will see it only redeemable for me to destroy these control spires."

"Why do you want to destroy them here," Kari asked him.

"It all started a few nights ago…" Ken started out as he began to tell the group what has been occurring with him. Stating the dream that he had with the lady that Palmon described and, knowing what was to come, he simply latched out a plan to overthrow her.

"I think your plan worked out tremendously," TK stated, shocked to learn what Ken has been going through.

"Thanks TK…look, I think I know what this lady is up to and to make sure that she doesn't get her plan hatched, I needed some help…in fact, I _**still**_ need some help. I wanted to ask you guys for assistance with me, seeing as I am now a digidestined."

Yolei was the first one to speak up, "I say welcome aboard Ken. It will be an honor to have you here with us."

Ken gave a shy smile towards the energetic teenager. TK and Kari were able to agree with the deal, but Cody remained silent until he spoke up.

"It's not that I don't fully trust you; it's just that I need more time to think this through…"

"What do you mean 'think this through,'" Yolei butted in, "You saw what he did for us for the second day in a row; can't you let the past go and move on."

Cody sighed. "I wish it was that easy, but for me it's not…I'll let you know soon Ken." He reassured the genius by saluting him with a bow.

"Thank you guys…don't worry about Davis; I'll deal with him myself." Ken stated to the rest and, seeing how late it was and also seeing that it has been a very long day, the group dismissed themselves back into the real world.

* * *

"I can't believe them," Davis muttered to himself as he sat on his bed, DemiVeemon snoozing away next to him, "How could they forgive him that easily? How could they let him into the team without consulting the leader," Davis was truly infuriated with the rest. There was nothing he saw in Ken today that changed his mind about him. He knew that, deep down inside of that now genuine boy was still the same cold-hearted control freak that enslaved his digimon.

Hearing a little ding coming from his computer, Davis got out of his bed and strolled over. Looking at his message, he saw something that made his heart skip a beat and his mouth hang in utter despair.

MESSAGE  
From: Ken  
To: Davis  
Subject: Urgent

'We need to talk…now!'

* * *

**Uh-oh, looks like trouble is coming. I kind of delve into a little bit more with the VeeGato hint and with the KenYako one at that. Well ,that's the end of Chapter 3 and again I thank everyone for following this story, for reading it, and for reviewing it (or for those of you who have...) I'm going to update my novelization next, so be on the lookout for the next chapter in a few days. Until next time, this is IrishPanther signing off!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey y'all, Irish here again to bring you Chapter 4 of my revision. I thank you all who have read and/or reviewed for my story, it means a lot!**

**I'm sorry to be stating this, but I feel like I should say this now rather than later. I'm curious to know about the low number of reviews I've been getting from my work. It feels like a waste that I'm writing a fic out and only a few have reviewed. Yes, I know you guys have your reasons, but I want to know how I'm doing with this story. No I'm not going to force you to review and no I'm not going to hamper you on reviewing my story; that's for you guys to decide if you deem my fanfic reviewable. Any type of feedback would be greatly appreciated though. :)**

**Anyway, with that out of the way, read, review, and enjoy!**

* * *

Davis rolled out of bed the next morning, still pondering over the message that he got from Ken the night before.

"Why in the world would he want to talk now? He just knows that it's going to get ugly." Davis commented to himself. The others have agreed to have a meeting on the outskirts of the school after they headed to the Digital World.

'_Maybe I need a day off from the Digital World…just to clear my head before this fiasco goes down.'_ Looking over to see DemiVeemon still snoozing away on his bed, Davis gave out a sigh as a thought ran through him.

'_Maybe it's best if I leave him at home, but then that wouldn't go over well…unless…'_ Davis's thought came to an end as he knew right then and there what needed to be done now.

Walking over to the little In-Training digimon, Davis lightly shook him awake. "Morning Davis," DemiVeemon gleefully stated, "you're up early."

"No, you just overslept; stay here, I'll be right back." Davis told his partner before heading out into the kitchen. There he saw his parents and his sister Jun enjoying a little bit of breakfast.

"Umm, guys," Davis shyly stated, now thinking that this was a bad idea.

"Morning hun, would you want anything to eat?" Mrs. Motomiya asked.

"Not right now…I was actually wondering if I could talk to you about something important," Davis firmly asked his family.

"Well sure son, what is it," Mr. Motomiya ended up asking him.

"Dad, don't even worry, he's probably going to state something idiotic," Jun said with a devious smirk on her face.

Davis ignored his sister's comment and continued on. "Well, I guess that I should explain to you guys what's been going on with me for the past couple of months…" Getting the family's undivided attention, Davis began his story.

* * *

TK was promptly waiting outside the elevator's metal door, eager to talk to Yolei and Cody about the day ahead. After another minute of waiting, the elevator came down, revealing the two digidestined.

"Morning guys," TK stated as he entered the elevator.

"Morning TK," Yolei brightly said, "today's going to be a busy one, huh?"

"You could say that again," TK prompted right back at her.

The other digidestined decided to meet up again at Ken's former base after school to see if any more spirals needed to be taken down in order for Arukenimon to be defeated. While the two continued on talking, Cody had a feeling of anguish inside of him.

He felt as though Ken shouldn't be forgiven just yet. Sure, he helped them out of a few jams, but it still shouldn't overlook all the torture that he has achieved over his reign. Cody had a whole different aspect of what to look for in a person and that first impressions are always a good thing to judge somebody on. He could thank his father for that…_'I wonder what he would say with the situation that I'm in if he was here…'_ Cody silently thought.

Yolei turned to see the preteen looking very sulky. "What's the problem, Cody, you seemed kind of distracted," she asked.

"Oh…it's nothing really, just thinking about today is all," Cody responded wearily.

"Well OK then, it was just that you have been quiet this whole time," TK stated as the trio got off the elevator and started walking to school.

"Really, it's nothing," Cody reassured his friends, "I…I guess I'm kind of nervous for today, but it's nothing real big."

TK and Yolei replied with head nods as the group continued to walk in silence. Once they reached the school, they went their separate ways. TK eventually made his way to his fist class, where he saw Kari but was very confused when he didn't see Davis.

"Do you have any idea where Davis could be at?" TK walked over and asked Kari.

"I don't have the slightest clue," Kari responded. "I hope he isn't late; he can't deal with getting in trouble, not now."

"I know, but its Davis; it's in his nature to be laid-back." TK reassured his friend.

"I guess you're right, but I hope he still makes it on time." Kari stated as she stared out the door leading into the classroom, wondering what was taking Davis so long.

* * *

DemiVeemon was a bit dazzled at the 'surprise' that Davis was going to give him. Instead of just giving him food or the option to sleep, which the little digimon both loved greatly, he was taken back when he found himself on top of the kitchen table with Davis' parents and Jun all staring at him wide-eyed.

'_Davis is surely going to get it from the others…'_ DemiVeemon pondered as he was now known by Davis' family.

Davis started off telling them about his first day out in the Digital World and meeting his partner, armor digivolving and such. He told them about the Emperor (while leaving Ken's name out of it) and what he did with enslaving Veemon on his second day. He explained the past couple of months and where they have taken him in the Digital World, including three new digivolutions and the defeat of the Emperor. Throughout the story, the three family members sat and looked very much in awe. Wanting them to fully believe it, Davis presented DemiVeemon to the clan.

"So, Davis, this is your 'digimon partner'," Mrs. Motomiya asked, a little shocked to see a cute dragon like creature so close to her.

"Yes Mom, he protects me in the Digital World from the bad digimon that attacks the group." Davis replied.

Mr. and Mrs. Motomiya gave each other nervous glances while Jun continued to look on at DemiVeemon, very curious to the new creature.

"Well Davis, does he know where _**everything**_ is in the house?" Mr. Motomiya finally asked.

"Oh yeah, he knows where a lot of things are…and for the record, though he may look small, he can eat a lot." Davis added the little statement, knowing how much the sure bottomless pit devours.

"Hey, I'm not that much of a handful," DemiVeemon piped up from the table, "I can take good care of myself; plus, aren't I just adorable to look at." With this statement, DemiVeemon gave the family a cute little facial expression, which certainly won Jun over.

"Awww…isn't he so precious." Seeing as how Jun felt a connection with the little In-Training digimon, she picked him up and gave him a loveable squeeze.

Davis couldn't help but to laugh at the scene. "OK Jun, I think he gets it." Upon hearing this, Jun freed DemiVeemon, who scampered over to Davis. "So guys, you don't mind about this right…the whole protecting the Digital World act, right?"

Davis seemed calm, but his mind was racing and his heart was pounding. He knew that this answer would either help or hurt him greatly.

"Not at all; I mean, in a way it is weird, but I trust you enough for you to protect that other place." Mrs. Motomiya stated as Mr. Motomiya gave a little head nod, agreeing with his wife.

"I just can't believe that something that fights and protects you can turn out to be so darned cute," Jun cooed at DemiVeemon, obviously showing affection for him.

"Thanks guys, it really means a lot that you believe me," Davis replied.

Noticing the time on the wall, which read 7:50 and Davis had ten minutes before classes began, he decided to wrap his story up. "OK, so DemiVeemon is going to stay here for the day while I head to school, Again, he's not that big of a problem and I can explain some things to you later on if you want me to, but right now I need to head to school." Without hesitation, Davis rushed into his bedroom and bolted out, backpack in hand, out of the apartment, leaving DemiVeemon very curious.

As the rest of the family got ready to either head to school or head to work, the little digimon made his way into Davis' room and lied down on his bed, thinking about what Davis just did.

'_Why would he do such a thing? Leave me here and not take me to school, I mean, we always head to the Digital World after school…'_ DemiVeemon had an inkling of what was about to go down, but decided to not worry about it now and instead dozed off for a nap.

* * *

Davis didn't know at the moment what the time was, nevertheless he did not care. He knows that he would be on death man's row if he got another detention one more time during the semester. Davis was glad that the semester was wrapping up real soon so that he could focus on a more rigorous task: dealing with Ken, who was now a part of the digidestined.

He reached the school's doors and bolted into the main hallway, dashing around corners as he almost ran into students and teachers. He then screeched to a halt when he passed his first class and, while he was catching his breath, entered the classroom and glanced over at a very surprised TK and Kari.

"Hey guys," Davis strolled over to them, "I got caught up with things back at my place…good thing that class hasn't started yet, huh?"

"Umm…yeah, you better be glad it didn't," Kari awkwardly answered.

"Yeah, c'mon we already had this discussion; if you slip-up one more time, it's bye-bye Digital World for a while…and we can't have that considering what we need to deal with now." TK told Davis in a figurative manner.

Davis didn't reply as he made his way towards his desk, simply waiting for the school day to begin. _'Sorry guys…I know you will be disappointed, but I think that it's only for the best if I have a little break,'_ he depressingly though silently.

* * *

The rest of the school day went by without any slip-ups occurring. In fact, Davis started to take his school studies serious now as finals were quickly approaching, and he knew that one more bad mark could spell disaster for him. The rest of the group was surprised to see Davis stroll into the computer lab after school without DemiVeemon accompanying him.

"Hey guys, look I know you'll probably be mad at me and such, but I kind of have something important to take care of right now." Davis nervously stated to the group.

"You're dissing us for something more important than trying to defeat Arukenimon," Yolei blasted at Davis.

"Yolei, please," Cody butted in, "Davis obviously has a matter at hand that he needs to deal with."

"You're telling me that he couldn't find a different time to do this," Yolei harshly asked.

"Guys, chill, it's not that big of a deal; besides, we got work done without Davis yesterday, what's one more day," TK reassured to the rest.

"Exactly; we'll be fine Davis, you go take care of what you need to do," Kari told her friend.

"Thanks for understanding," Davis stated as he walked out of the computer lab.

"Can someone tell me what that was all about," Yolei still didn't seem pleased with the way that their leader was acting.

"Come on Yolei, Davis just needs to do something else, it's really no big deal; besides, he'll be back for the meeting," TK told her.

"How do you know that," Cody brought up.

"I don't think Davis would ever miss a meeting, and with what needs to be discussed tonight, he will surely be there." TK reassured the youngster. After the conversation ended, the remaining group members were ready to head off to meet Ken in the Digital World.

* * *

"So you want me to see if I can fix this?" Izzy asked Davis quizzically, holding his damaged D-Terminal. Davis decided that, while he was given his free day, he would head over to the electronic expert of the group and have his device fixed. DemiVeemon tagged along, but he wasn't being all too quiet as he kept hammering Davis with questions as to why they weren't in the Digital World now.

"Yeah, it kind of got wet sometime last week and I've been too busy to ask you about this," Davis responded.

"And now is the perfect time to do this," Izzy asked after hearing DemiVeemon complaining again.

Davis sighed at the question, "Yes, I think it is." With that question answered, Davis turned to see DemiVeemon on Izzy's bed, still moping around.

"OK, what's with you; why are you acting all depressed," Davis asked his partner.

"I should be the one asking you the questions," DemiVeemon stated before continuing, "First off, what was the deal with this morning."

Davis turned to see that Izzy had left the room as he tried to find the right tools in order to fix his D-Terminal. Davis was happy that he didn't hear DemiVeemon's question. "I thought that that was the right thing to do. I couldn't keep hiding you and have my family find you and then asking questions. I had to tell them about you and what I've been doing; otherwise, they would have gotten suspicious."

"Well you could have at least warned me beforehand, I was scared half to death out there with you leaving me in the dust." DemiVeemon stated.

Davis annoyingly sighed before continuing, "Look, the reason we aren't in the Digital World is because I still need some time alone and away from Ken. I'm not ready to bring him into the group, especially with what happened to you."

"I'm still here aren't I," DemiVeemon commented, "I'm not affected anymore…I've moved on, why haven't you?"

Davis was brought to a standstill at this question. He didn't know the answer to that right now…why _**couldn't**_ he accept Ken for who he was now. Before he could answer, Izzy returned to his bedroom with a few supplies in hand. "OK, I'm going to start…what in the world?" Izzy's sentence was cut short when he saw a message appear on his screen from Cody.

"Need help…need help with what?" Izzy pondered aloud while Davis pondered this same thought in his head, wondering what the group was up to now.

* * *

The group met up with Ken a few thousand feet outside of his base in the ruins. They were currently discussing why Davis was absent, which led Ken into a small rage.

"Really…he had something else to do? Isn't this matter at hand important enough?" Ken asked.

"That's what I was saying," Yolei commented.

"Look Ken," Kari stated, "Davis will be at the meeting tonight, so you can talk to him about this. Right now, we need a plan in order to stop Arukenimon."

"Well as you can see, there are rarely any control spires here. Stingmon and I decided to destroy more of them while we were waiting for you." Ken stated the obvious as the once now crowd of control spires have slimmed down to only a few.

Wormmon responded to this statement with a weary nod, showing some signs of fatigue.

"Are you OK," Patamon asked the tired digimon, "You don't look too good?"

"I think he'll be alright," Gatomon stated, "how are you holding up?"

"I'm alright…tired but alright," Wormmon answered the feline.

"Apparently taking down a few dozen control spires may have worn you out," Ken looked down at his partner, very worried about his well-being.

"Believe me Ken; I'm fine, I just need a little breather that's all." The worm did his best to persuade his partner.

The rest didn't last long as an explosion was heard from the base. The group turned to see that it was starting to go haywire.

"What was that," TK worriedly asked.

"The base…something seems wrong; we might need some assistance," Ken stated.

"Quick, someone text Izzy, he'll know what to do." Kari commanded and, without any hesitation, Cody whipped out his D-Terminal and frantically typed a message out to Izzy. Within a minute, he got a reply.

"Izzy says it's coming from a power source, and if we don't hurry and switch it off, the base will explode." Cody frantically read off, not wanting to waste any time.

Without any hesitation, Ken sprinted off towards the base with the rest right behind.

* * *

"So what's going on now?" Davis asked Izzy as he began to worry.

"The base is apparently going through some kind of meltdown with a power source inside of the base. If they don't hurry, it could spell danger."

Izzy turned to see Davis giving him a confused look after his explanation. "The danger I'm referring to is the base exploding…you know, a big boom occurring and might take out some part of the Digital World."

"Do you really think that an explosion could do that?" Davis asked.

"Well, apparently with something that they are dealing with right now, it is possible." Izzy quietly stated as he also felt nervous for the group.

'_I hope you guys hurry…'_ Davis quietly thought, hoping that the team can succeed without him.

* * *

While running, Ken had his hand in one of his pockets, desperately looking for something that he might need. Digging deeper, he felt something small and kind of rectangular and pulling it out, he was ecstatic that he found exactly what he needed: the Crest of Kindness.

His gleefulness went away quickly as he heard another explosion from the base and started to pick up his pace just a bit.

'_This is something that I need to accomplish alone…no one else can help me erase this horrible mess.'_ Ken silently thought as he ran inside his base and looked for the main source to plug his crest in.

Seeing it on top of the power source under the main symbol of the crest, Ken climbed up and pushed the crest into the slot. Within a few seconds, the power started to shut down and, for the moment, the explosions stopped.

The rest of the group finally caught up to Ken just in time to celebrate…though their celebration was cut short when the explosions resumed.

"What's happening, why is the base still exploding?" Kari pondered aloud.

"Ken, I thought the crest would help things out; what's going on?" TK asked.

"I think I know the reason…my crest, it's worthless; it hasn't reacted at all and I'd be surprised if it started now." Ken replied coldly.

"Oh well, I guess that too much fooling around caused you to become the pathetic being that you are." The group was astonished when they looked around and saw Arukenimon outside of the base via a monitor screen mounted on the wall.

"What are you doing here," Ken barked out, "and more importantly, what do you want from me?"

Arukenimon simply chucked at the statement, "I want nothing more than to see your pathetic lot destroyed, and it looks like this will become a reality."

"We aren't afraid of you," Yolei stated, "We can take you on with no problem; how come we don't see you right in front of us huh?"

"Oh you think you can take me on; that's remarkable." Arukenimon stated with a bit of sarcasm hinted in her voice. "Besides, do you really believe that this kid that enslaved digimon would be helping you out. It seems to me like you guys have a long way to go to find out who your true friends are." With a mad laugh ending her statement, the screen turned black.

"Ken," Cody started to ask, "What else is in this base, because if there is another source of power around here you would be the only one to know."

Ken tried to recall if there was, but nothing came to him. After annoyingly sighing, he kicked the ground…only to realize that he kicked a pipe. Looking to see where the pipe led to, Ken found a passageway with about a dozen pipes.

"Follow me, I might know where another source is," Ken stated before bolting off through the passageway with the rest following suit.

* * *

Izzy was busy on his computer, searching for anything that could have caused the warp that was once gone now come back even stronger than before. He sure hoped that the others had a plan of their own because he wasn't having any luck right now.

"C'mon Izzy, the others need to know what to do," Davis stated towards his friend.

"Davis, I'm doing the best that I can, but I don't have a solution as to how the warp came back." Izzy stated.

"Maybe his crest didn't work," DemiVeemon decided to help guess at a possible scenario.

"Maybe…I'm pretty sure your right on the dot," Davis replied in a harsh manner. "Why the Crest of Kindness was awarded to him is beyond me."

Izzy let out a sigh of annoyance. "Davis, you can have your little rant some other time; right now, I'm trying to figure out what the solution could be to this mayhem."

Davis backed away from Izzy and ended up sitting on his bed next to his partner. _'There is just no way that this makes any sense…'_ Davis ended up pondering to himself.

* * *

"I might have thought of something when I saw those pipes," Ken started to explain as the group continued to walk through the tunnel, "I remember a reactor of some sort was in here somewhere but I didn't have an inkling where it was located. I think if we shut down the source, we could stop that reactor from causing this base to explode."

"Good explanation and all, but don't you feel just a little bit chilly," Gatomon piped up.

"What, like feeling cold or something, because I feel the exact same thing," Patamon retorted.

The group was at a standstill when, as the reactor created yet another explosion, their pathway was blocked.

"Don't worry y'all, I got this," Armadillomon stated as he used his Diamond Shell attack to ram into the blockage while Hawkmon added his attack, Feather Strike, to chop up the remaining strings of blockage.

"I believe that we can continue now," he stated as the group continued their march onward.

They finally reached the reactor, which had numerous pipes leading upwards, with a bit of an arm stretching out of the reactor with a strange black aura sprouting out of it. In fact, the reactor in general was giving off a weird bluish like color and it was pure coldness that hit the group the most.

"This feeling…why does it seem like I have felt this before," TK pondered.

"Remember, in the whirlpool when we spotted Devimon," Patamon stated which led TK to remember that feeling.

"This feeling reminds me of being trapped in the Dark Ocean," Kari shivered at the thought of that mysterious place.

"This place…it leads to the World of Darkness," Ken stated monotonously, looking up at the reactor. "I know it because I've been around it the longest."

Suddenly, a strange portal started to show through the reactor, giving off an eerie white light.

"The portal, it's opening up," Ken stated.

"Great, now what do we do," Yolei asked.

"Simple, we need to destroy the opening, but how do we do that," Cody pondered.

"I might have an idea," TK said, "if our digimon could evolve and try to take out that opening, we might be able to stop it from powering up."

"It works for me," Patamon stated as he got off from TK's head, "Let's get to it."

"Digi-Armor Energize," TK exclaimed, holding out his digivice.

**Patamon Armor-Digivolve to…Pegasusmon, Flying Hope**

"TK, are you sure this could work," Kari questioned anxiously.

"Well, there isn't a better idea being tossed around, so let's go with this one," TK stated back.

"Kari, I'm ready to go," Gatomon positively stated.

Kari shook her head and got out her digivice. "Digi-Armor Energize!"

**Gatomon Armor-Digivolve to…Nefertimon, the Angel of Light**

"Alright, let's give this a try I guess," Yolei stated.

"I guess it's better than nothing; you two ready" Cody responded alerting Hawkmon and Armadillomon.

The digimon nodded, which gave the cue for their respective partners to help them armor-digivolve.

**Hawkmon Armor-Digivolve to…Shurimon, the Samurai of Sincerity**

**Armadillomon Armor-Digivolve to…Digmon, the Drill of Knowledge**

Seeing Wormmon's current condition, which has not improved from destroying control spires yet, Ken decided to have him sit this one out. With each of the digimon's strongest attack, they all charged the opening and attacked it, causing the opening to shatter and the reactor to shut down.

"Izzy sent a message…he stated that the warp has returned to normal." Cody happily indicated to the rest.

"Good thing that's over, but there's still one thing that needs to be done…" Ken stated.

The rest were outside of the base a good enough distance away from it. Once again, using their respective strongest attacks, the base exploded, causing a gust of wind to blow towards the digidestined.

"It's done, the base is gone…never to be seen by anyone or used by anyone ever again." Ken admitted to his little plan. With the digimon exhausted from their plan and the kids exhausted from trying to save the base, they all decided to return to the real world, still needing one more thing to take care of.

* * *

It was a little after eight when the group and their digimon met up on the school grounds, Davis included. After deciding to meet on the soccer pitch since they knew that it was safer there, all were silent until TK decided to speak up.

"OK, I know that this had to happen sooner or later, so let's get this over with."

After a few seconds of silence passed, a very disgruntled Davis asked, "Get _**what**_ over with?"

"You know, our little meeting," TK responded back in a nicer tone than what Davis gave him.

"So in other words, a small get-together to let a new member into our group…oh, how I am ever so pleased with this," Davis mockingly stated, still looking displeased.

"Look Davis, we just got done saving Ken's base, so can we please just have a normal discussion," Kari tried to calm her friend down, but Davis wouldn't have any of it.

"I know you guys did, I was over at Izzy's trying to get my D-Terminal fixed when you guys were in trouble." Davis reassured the others.

"Wait _**that**_ was the reason you took off today…to get your device fixed?" Yolei asked, completely in utter disbelief.

"Well yes…sort of," Davis responded, giving a glare in Ken's direction.

"What do you mean 'sort of'," Yolei once again asked.

"I had to do some head-clearing still about whether I want Ken to be in our group or not." Davis answered back.

"Wait…you're telling me that Ken can't be with us because you might not want him in it," TK asked his friend.

"That's exactly what I'm saying; for all we know he could be toying with us and wait for the right time to reveal his true self." Davis spat out.

"What true self do I have that I'm hiding from you," Ken decided to speak up.

"You know damn well what true self I'm talking about…the guy who enslaved my digimon, that same cold-heartless bastard that is still inside of you, that's who," Davis cursed out at him.

Ken gave Davis a very demising look before speaking, "Do you think that I haven't changed for the better? You don't think that, after what I have been through and the help that I've provided for the team, I haven't changed and I'm still the same Emperor who had your digimon captured?"

"That's _**exactly**_ what I am saying," Davis snapped back.

Ken slowly walked up to Davis until they were face to face. Their breaths were hitting against each other and the tension was so thick you could cut through it with a knife. Ken started off speaking, "You are wrong, Motomiya. You don't know how wrong you are and I just find it hilarious that you think a person can't change, all because of what happened in their past."

"Well then tell me Ichijouji who all have your back? Does everyone on the team have your back and has everyone here truly forgiven you from your reign as Emperor?" Davis fired back at the boy.

Ken turned to see the rest of the group and remembered what Cody stated yesterday. "Well, everyone but Cody has moved on and has accepted me."

"So that still leaves two people left," Davis stated with a satisfied smirk.

"The last I remember three people with you was better than two people against you. Oh wait, you don't remember because you're simply an idiot." Ken profoundly stated before continuing, "I can run this team better than you, I'll be having them running circles before you know it…the sad thing is that it will happen sooner or later."

"So you think you could do a better job than me?" Davis asked. Ken simply shook his head.

"Well then, suit yourself," Davis replied before backing off from Ken. "Let's see how you do against Arukenimon, I would love to know the details of tomorrow's outcome."

"Wait Davis, please tell me you aren't going to be there tomorrow," TK pleaded.

"No…I simply refuse to come and you can thank the boy right in front of me." Davis replied back.

"C'mon Davis," Cody said, "You can't leave your team hanging like this."

"Oh, but I can. You see, I want to simply experiment who could lead this team better…plus, as I stated before, I'm not ready to work with Ken yet." Davis retorted back.

"Well, what about DemiVeemon, he's going to be crushed when he finds out you aren't going," Cody stated.

"He won't, he'll simply be at home…my home." Davis added.

"Wait," Kari asked, "Is that the reason that DemiVeemon wasn't with you today in the computer lab?" Davis shook his head.

"Davis, are you crazy, what if someone from your family found out about him…" TK stopped right in the middle of his statement only to remember the discussion he had with Davis just last week. "Davis, _**please**_ tell me you didn't tell your family about what's been happening?"

"Hmm…yeah, I told them everything and they're fine with it." Davis replied back nonchalantly.

The rest of the group looked puzzled at Davis and, once they were done being puzzled, they were simply outrageous.

Davis was pelted pretty hard with some classic insults that were thrown his way by the digidestined, but that didn't stop him from crackling up. _'They are all just scared of what _**their** _families will think…better tell them sooner than later or things will get ugly.'_ Davis pondered this thought as the insults and the yelling died down.

After a few seconds of silence, Davis spoke up, "So, is this all we need to discuss tonight…and does everyone know what I'm doing." He couldn't help it but to add that last part in just out of sheer spite towards the others.

Everyone just glared at him, simply too ticked off to even respond. With the silence lingering on, Davis called out to DemiVeemon, and the two simply departed back for home.

"Geez, what a jackass…" Yolei firmly stated.

"It's alright Yolei, we'll give him time…for now though, let's go home and rest, get ready for tomorrow as I lead you guys on." Ken stated as he called out for Wormmon to depart back home. With the rest of the digidestined standing there in awe, each were trying to figure out what just occurred and what _**could**_ occur next if Davis wasn't back with the team.

* * *

**Alright, so that ends Chapter 4. I hope you guys are enjoying this story so far and, once again, review please! It will mean a ton if you do! Any criticism will do good for now! Till next time, IrishPanther is out of here!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello everyone, Irish back again to bring you Chapter 5. I thank you all for reading and reviewing last chapter; it truly meant a lot to me! Here is where the plot of the story starts to unravel just a bit...it should be next chapter when this story takes a good turn. Anyways, read, review, and enjoy!**

* * *

When the meeting was adjourned, in a very peculiar manner, Cody, Yolei, and TK ended up walking back to their complex still talking about what had just occurred.

"What do you think will happen tomorrow," TK asked the two companions.

"Well, either Ken will be able to lead us over Arukenimon or we are otherwise dead," Yolei blankly stated.

"I'm still wondering why Davis did what he had done today," Cody asked aloud, still puzzled that Davis told his family about the Digital World.

"You know something…I think we were all a little _**too**_ harsh on him," TK was now seeing that the bashing they did back on the field led him into a solemn mood, "I mean think about it; one of these days, we will have to confront our families about what's been going on."

Yolei was the first to speak upon her behalf of the statement, "I don't think we were that harsh…we were just getting our anger out because he simply wasn't there today; besides," Yolei continued on, looking down at a sleeping Poromon in her arms, "I don't think I'm fully ready to show Poromon to my family."

"The same with Upamon," Cody added, looking down to see his little In-Training digimon snoozing away, "I'm not ready to give him away just yet."

Silence fell upon the trio for a short time after that, each pondering about tomorrow with Ken leading the team. _'Why can't I see Ken as a good guy yet,' _Cody was pondering to himself, _'He has helped us out in a lot of jams already…I just wish there was one way to show that he has truly changed…'_ Cody's train of thought was cut short as he neared the complex.

Yolei couldn't help but to see the dissatisfying face that Cody was wearing on the elevator ride up, so after saying good-night to TK she decided to walk Cody back to his apartment to see what was going on.

"How come you've been so quiet lately," Yolei decided to ask, "I mean, I don't mind if you don't want to state your opinion on the Ken situation but lately, you've just been silent."

Cody looked up at the girl with his still saddened face. "It's nothing…I'm just wondering when I will see Ken as a good guy; you know, in order to accept him as a team player and as a genuine person."

Yolei breathed out a sigh, knowing all too well what Cody was talking about. "Look Cody, you don't need to be this person that looks into someone deeply in order to see if he's changed. Ken _**has**_ changed for the better…if he wasn't a better person, he wouldn't be with us right now."

Cody still gave Yolei a dissatisfying look before breathing out a sigh. _'I thought that you would better understand, considering what I have been through…'_ Cody bitterly thought. Seeing as they have reached his front door a while ago and were outside talking about the situation, Cody decided to excuse himself for bed. After bidding Yolei a good-night, Cody entered his apartment, leaving a very chaotic Yolei thinking about what just happened with Cody. It wouldn't be until the next morning until she realized the error that she has made.

* * *

"So Ken sent you a message, what was it about," TK asked as he got a call from Kari as soon as he walked into his apartment.

"Yep," Kari replied back, "He said that Arukenimon sent him some type of coordinates in which we need to meet up at…the reason is unknown."

"I can guarantee you it's another one of her traps," TK said, "Just like with the control spired digimon, she's going to find some way to pull a trick that she's had up her sleeve for much too long."

"Well, let's wait for tomorrow to assume things," Kari reassured, "Besides, I'm kind of bummed that Davis won't be coming with us."

TK was taken aback by her statement. "Wait…why would you be bummed out at Davis?"

"It's nothing real big, it's just that he needs to learn sooner or later that Ken's a part of the team, whether he likes it or not," Kari stated, "I just wish it would be sooner so that we can defeat Arukenimon."

"Well, just give him time…I know it might seem like a bad thing right now, but Davis needs all the time to forgive Ken." TK stated.

Kari gave a lengthy sigh before talking, "I know, I know…I just hope that he can let the whole Emperor saga die out."

TK couldn't argue with that. He did think that Davis was being childish at not only forgiving Ken for his wrongdoings, but not even accepting him as part of the team. Nonetheless, he knows that time will heal all wounds and that Davis will forgive Ken and welcome him to the team.

After a few more words were exchanged by the two teenagers, they both hung up their house phones and decided that a good night sleep will do both of them good for what was to come.

* * *

Cody woke up earlier than expected, about a good twenty minutes early, in order for his routinely early morning mediation. Not that Cody minded meditating with his grandfather, who he would normally meditate with; he just thought that for this one time, he wanted to meditate by himself.

He slowly entered the shrine, and after a few preparations, he was ready. He knelt down on the plush rug that was below him and slowly breathed in the incense that he burnt off. Cody couldn't help but to break his concentration just for a split second in order to glance at a photo of his father on top of the dresser.

As Cody continued on to deepen his mind, closing out all other distractions and focusing, the simple thought of his father entered his mind.

'_Dad, I need your help…please lead me on to see that Ken is good and has changed for the better. You were always able to see the good in others and always thought of the appropriate justice to give to people. Help me with today, with tomorrow, with every day after that.'_

With his thoughts emitting out of him, Cody felt at peace…a peace that he was well relaxed in. With this peace newly charged in him, he would hope that he could go on and see Ken as a positive asset to the team and to him as well.

After a good fifteen minutes of deep meditation, Cody slowly opened his eyes, embracing the world around him. When he got up from his position and turned around, he was surprised to see Chikara standing at the doorway.

"Well good morning Cody," Chikara said with a smile, "Seems like you beat me to meditation."

"I'm sorry grandpa," Cody politely apologized and bowed to the elder man, "I just needed to go solo for this meditation."

"I understand, now go…get ready for the day ahead," and with Chikara's statement, Cody left the shrine and, after getting ready for school, left to catch the elevator.

"Hey Cody," Yolei promptly stated as the youngster got on the elevator, "Look, I'm sorry about last night…I kind of felt real bad about it this morning. I didn't really think much into what you were trying to tell me."

"It's alright, don't get down on yourself, just get ready for the day ahead," Cody eagerly stated with a warm, sincere smile on his face.

"Hey guys," the two were brought back to reality when TK entered the elevator. "Kari called yesterday and Ken gave her some information on where we need to meet in the Digital World after school."

"Well OK, give it to us," Yolei stated.

"Well, it's pretty much just a coordination; we don't know where that is but we need to go there," TK explained.

"Do you think Arukenimon is behind something," Cody asked.

"I think she is Cody, so we need to be alert," TK responded.

After getting off the elevator and walking to school, the group bid each other their good-byes until they met up again after school.

* * *

Davis was surely in a rut after school that day. It was just announced that finals for the term would be on the Friday coming up, and seeing that it was Tuesday, he had a lot of studying to do. It didn't make it any better when his parents warned him that if he got one bad mark on his finals, then no Digital World for him. _'Geez, now I wonder if it was _**smart**_ for me to tell them that…'_ Davis thought as he neared his apartment door.

He was greeted by a distraught DemiVeemon, clearly depressed that he wasn't going to the Digital World today and that he wouldn't see Gatomon as well.

"Hey bud," Davis tried to cheer his partner up, "how's it going, how was your day today?"

DemiVeemon simply gave a small shrug, clearly not in the mood to talk.

Davis let out a sigh, "Look bud, I know you're kind of miffed about yesterday's meeting and how it went down…it's just that I need more time to clear my head with Ken."

"So you're punishing _**me**_ because of _**your**_ poor decision-making," DemiVeemon cried out.

"It didn't sound like I was doing that…look, I know you miss Gatomon and all the others, but I don't think it'll be much longer; I just need some more time to myself, OK?"

Davis looked anxiously at his partner, waiting for a response from him. All he got was a whimper and a little nod.

"Works for me," Davis irritably stated before departing off to his bedroom, "If you need me, I'll be studying," Davis told the In-Training digimon and closed the door.

Not even a few seconds lapsed when a knock was heard on Davis' bedroom door. Davis went over to see DemiVeemon pounding on it from below.

"Wait…you are going to _**study**_…for _**something**_," DemiVeemon exaggerated the two terms, knowing that Davis was not real fond of the subject.

"Apparently, yes; finals are coming up and if I don't do decent on them, then it's bye-bye Digital World for a long while…" Davis let out a sigh, knowing how much it would suck if he was left not fighting Arukenimon because of his grades.

"Plus, with all this free time that I have, I need a way to distract myself…" Davis stated this with a look of dissatisfaction on his face, knowing very well that the next few days will be hell for him.

DemiVeemon seemed like he understood Davis' request of peace and quiet; though he didn't state anything like that, the little blue digimon knew that Davis needed to focus…a lot. Without saying another peep, DemiVeemon made his way out of the bedroom.

Davis gave out a sigh as he went to close his door. Looking over to his backpack, he shook his head in a displeasing manner and, making his way towards it, unzipped the backpack and fished in for the first book to study from.

* * *

The other digidestined met up at the exact coordination that Arukenimon gave Ken last night, which led them out to a green pasture. Miles upon miles were out in from of them, and they saw nothing but green pastures.

"So where is she," Kari stated, "This is the right coordination, correct?"

"Yeah, apparently this is the place…a huge place at that," Ken responded back.

"Well it's time for her to come out, we can't be standing here all day," TK retorted.

"Oh, who says you can't," The group turned to see Arukenimon standing, wearing her signature grin upon her face.

"What do you want from us this time," Yolei asked the woman.

"Oh, nothing much…just thought you guys needed some relaxation from yesterday's antics," Arukenimon coldly replied.

"What kind of joke are you trying to pull on us," Cody brought up.

"No joke whatsoever, just a little bit of relaxation for you guys…_**after**_ you all fight my army, of course," and with the snap of Arukenimon's fingers, a hoard of Flymon came buzzing towards the group.

"Oh, this looks like fun," Kari stated with a deadpan expression.

"Kari now's not a time to joke around," Gatomon told her partner, "Get me to Armor-Digivolve now."

Kari looked at the feline, knowing that she's ready for battle. Pulling out her D-3, she yelled out, "Digi-Armor Energize!"

**Gatomon Armor-Digivolve to…Nefertimon**

"Kari, I think judging by the numbers here, you're going to need a lot more help," Yolei stated behind her before turning to Hawkmon. "You ready?"

"Indeed I am," Hawkmon responded, to which Yolei screamed out, "Digi-Armor Energize!"

**Hawkmon Armor-Digivolve to…Halsemon**

"Don't count us out," Patamon reinstated to the two, "TK, I'm ready."

TK gave his partner a nod before exclaiming, "Digi-Armor Energize!"

**Patamon Armor-Digivolve to…Pegasusmon**

As the three digimon took to the skies, the group was aware at the numerous number of Flymon approaching them.

"There's way too many of them, we'll get crushed in no time," Yolei piped up.

Kari looked at Arukenimon, who was still standing there wearing her little smirk. _'Maybe this battle won't be that bad; I know that woman has something up her sleeve…'_

The Flymon who was leading the hoard started towards Nefertimon, using its Brown Stingers attack towards the Armor leveled digimon. Knowing the effects that Flymon's attack has on any digimon, Nefertimon quickly flew out of the way of the oncoming stinger. Deciding to respond back, Nefertimon used her Rosetta Stones attack, and a critical hit was set upon Flymon.

However, the rest of the hoard came from behind the injured Flymon to attack Halsemon and Pegasusmon. Halsemon attacked first, using his Eagle Eye to try and stun one of the Flymon, but failed. This Flymon decided to use its Flying Arm attack, raising one of its arms up and, flying towards Halsemon, struck him on his helmet, causing Halsemon to retreat.

"There are too many of them," Halsemon spoke back to Pegasusmon, who was trying to use his Star Shower attack in order to hit a Flymon that was following him. Unable to critically hit it, Flymon flew up above Pegasusmon and released its Poison Power from its wings, hoping to have an effect on the digimon. Alas, Pegasusmon was able to see the attack coming and swooped out of the way.

"Guys, there are too many of them," TK called up to the digimon, "You need to find a way to kill them and fast!"

"Ken," Wormmon piped up, "Have me digivolve to Stingmon; maybe I can try to do some harm to them."

"Alright," Ken responded before pulling out his digivice.

**Wormmon Digivolve to…Stingmon**

The Champion leveled digimon took to the skies, following a Flymon that was coming straight for Halsemon who used his Flying Arm attack to knock Halsemon down to the ground.

"Halsemon," Yolei shrieked to her partner.

"I'm fine, Yolei…have me digivolve to Aquilamon and let me fight," Halsemon commanded his partner to re-digivolve him. Yolei complied as he readied the now de-digivolved Hawkmon.

**Hawkmon Digivolve to…Aquilamon**

Aquilamon flew up above, seeing if he could help aid in the fight. Looking over, he saw Stingmon doing battle with the Flymon that previously hurt him. Deciding to take matters into his own, he charged up his Grand Horn attack and rammed straight through Flymon…

"Wait, what," Stingmon was in utter disbelief when he saw the Flymon that he was fighting just a second ago turning all static.

"Their illusions," Ken cried out before turning towards Arukenimon, "I knew you had something to do with this!"

"Oh, you finally caught on," Arukenimon stated, "Well, time for Plan B then," and with the snap of her fingers, a Dokugumon came flying down from the ground and landed near Arukenimon, letting out a shriek of horror.

"It's about time, I've been getting bored back here," Armadillomon spoke up before turning to Cody, "Let me Armor-Digivolve; I can take that thing easily."

Cody gave a nod before grabbing his digivice and exclaiming, "Digi-Armor Energize!"

**Armadillomon Armor-Digivolve to…Digmon**

While the two digimon started to battle down on the ground, the hoard of digimon in the sky kept on fighting. Thanks to Aquilamon and Stingmon finding that there are illusions among the numerous Flymon swarming around, the rest try to find a real Flymon to kill off. Nefertimon used her Cat's Eye Beam on an incoming Flymon, who disintegrated into the air and caused a good amount of Flymon to disappear without a trace.

"I got it," Nefertimon bellowed out to the rest, "If we kill a real one, the illusion will disappear."

"Yeah, but how do we find out which ones are real and which ones are fake," Pegasusmon spoke up.

"How am I supposed to know, just keep attacking until you hit one," Nefertimon responded as the group continued to attack.

* * *

Digmon was just getting warmed up with his match as Dokugumon lunched over to him and used his Poison Thread in order to stun Digmon. Fortunately, Digmon saw this and dug underground and was hidden from the attack. Seeing that it was fine to come up, Digmon came and used his Gold Rush attack to send to Dokugumon. It did little to no effect on the insect digimon, as he now turned around and used his Poison Cobweb on Digmon, allowing a web to shoot out of his abdomen and landed right on Digmon.

"Digmon, get out of there," Cody frantically stated.

Digmon did his best, using the drills on his hands to cut away at the web before its effect took place upon the Armor leveled digimon.

"Alright, enough toying around," Digmon exclaimed before using his Rock Cracking attack to generate a fissure that sent Dokugumon's body into it; unfortunately, only half of his body was in the crack and he was doing his best to inch his way out of the jam.

Thinking that he had a chance to attack, Dokugumon soon found out its fate when Stingmon appeared from the sky and landed his Spiking Strike on the Champion digimon, causing him to also disintegrate.

Cody turned to see Ken smiling, pleased with what his digimon just did. With that look, Cody let a smile grow on his face. _'Maybe he has changed after all…'  
_

* * *

Up above, things were faring well for the rest of the digimon. With Aquilamon using his Grand Horn attack, Nefertimon and Pegasusmon were able to tell the illusions from the real Flymon. Using their respective attacks – Cat's Eye Beam and Star Shower – the group was able to defeat the hoard of Flymon within a matter of minutes

"Hah, you see, we did beat you…now let us relax," Yolei blurted out towards Arukenimon.

"Oh really, well OK then, I'll keep my promise," Arukenimon stated with a strange smile on her face, "I'll let you relax and watch your digimon attack each other." With that statement, she pulled out a flue from under her sleeve and started to play a melody on it.

"What are you talking about…and what's with the flute," TK pondered aloud as Arukenimon kept on playing.

Aquilamon, Nefertimon, and Pegasusmon all flew down and resorted back to their rookie forms, while Stingmon and Digmon just remained standing when they defeated Dokugumon. Both seemed to be lost in a sort of trance.

"What do you think's going on," Kari asked aloud.

"I…I don' know," Ken responded. "I knew she had something up her sleeve, but I'm confused as to what she meant by watching our digimon attack."

Ken's question was answered as he saw Stingmon turning around and, looking at Digmon with what looked like dreary eyes, shot forward and starting to kick Digmon.

The rest of the group was astonished as they saw what was occurring. "Wait, Stingmon, what are you doing!" Ken agitatedly asked his partner, who continued to kick at Digmon.

Digmon decided to use his arms to block the blows being delivered by Stingmon, and once he found a small opening, he used his arms to send Stingmon back. Digmon retorted the attack by tackling Stingmon to the ground and, using the drill on his face, started to drill at Stingmon.

"Digmon, what in the world are you doing!" Cody exclaimed, seeing the beetle like digimon in a state he never saw him in before.

"What in the world is going on," Kari started to ponder before glancing over at Arukenimon still playing her flute…

"That's it, the flute," Kari bellowed out, "It has something to do to affect insect like digimon, seeing at how Digmon and Stingmon both fall under that category."

Ken couldn't take much more of what he was seeing. Stingmon used his legs to kick Digmon off of him and, after recovering a bit from the previous attack, flew and rammed his body into Digmon, causing him to fly in the opposite direction and hit the ground hard.

"Why are you doing this?" Ken, desperate for answers, started to freak out at Arukenimon, "Do you find such pleasure in doing this?"

Arukenimon didn't stop playing; she just simply nodded to Ken's question while still going strong.

Cody turned to see Ken in a frantic state of being…something he never saw in the genius before. _'What Arukenimon is doing to Stingmon must have some effect on him,'_ Cody pondered on this thought before his eyes grew wide, as he now discovered something.

'_That's it! Ken is seeing what is was like when he controlled the digimon back when he was the Emperor…and quite frankly, he's not enjoying it.'_ Cody saw the look on Ken's face, fragile and looked terrified as his partner continued to attack Digmon. Somewhere in this huge debacle of a mess, Cody saw something in Ken that he's been eager to see: a change.

'_He really cares now, he sees what he has done wrong…he _**really**_ has changed.'_ Cody thought with a smile upon his face, though that smile quickly went away and was replaced with a scowl.

"Arukenimon, knock it off! I think you made your point real clear now," Cody showed frustration towards the woman, who simply laughed at this statement.

"Oh, that was a good treat, eh?" Arukenimon asked as she decided that enough was enough and stopped playing. This caused Stingmon and Digmon to fall down to the ground, clearly exhausted from the hypnosis.

"So, you guys think you can _**still**_ beat me?" Arukenimon asked to the group.

"We'll find a way to make sure that you are long dead when we get done with you," Ken stated in a cold manner.

"Oh I'll be looking forward to that," and with another snap of her fingers, to the surprise of the digidestined, a jeep started to drive towards Arukenimon, revealing another odd-looking person in the driver's seat.

"Oh honey, here I am…" the driver stated in an upbeat manner.

Arukenimon slowly turned her head towards the driver and, without any hesitation, walked over and smacked him upside the head. "Mummymon, how many times much I tell you to stop with that little charade."

Mummymon, now grabbing his head, slowly answered, "You told me not to do it unless you want to be tormented."

"Good," Arukenimon walked around to the passenger side of the jeep and got in, "Don't think this is the last time you'll be seeing us…so long, till next time." With a cackle escaping from her mouth, Arukenimon and Mummymon drove off into the distance.

With them departing, Ken took this time to head over to Wormmon, who was barely conscious on the ground after de-digivolving and from the hypnosis. "Hey Wormmon, are you OK?"

Wormmon only gave a small grunt, showing Ken that he is indeed not alright. Things weren't faring well with Armadillomon either, as he laid on the ground, his paws giving out from under him as his barely conscious body was laying down.

"Armadillomon, how are you holding up?" Cody ran up to his partner to see how badly injured he was. To his extent, Cody saw Armadillomon giving him a little wave with his paw, trying to reassure Cody that he would be alright in a while.

"Are you alright," Cody turned to hear Ken ask him that.

"Yeah, I guess…how are you holding up?" Cody replied and asked back.

Ken just looked down at his partner and sighed, "I'll be alright eventually."

Cody couldn't stand to see Ken in this manner, so he thought that talking would help him out. "Listen, back when our digimon were going at it, I saw something in you…something that made me very happy."

"What was it?" Ken was curious to find out the answer.

"I saw a new person in you. You have changed from the Emperor and I apologize if it took long for me to figure out. I'm just trying to say…welcome to the group." Cody extended his hand out, waiting for Ken to accept it.

Ken looked at the hand for a moment before shaking it, showing a shy smile to the young boy. _'I'm not fully alright yet, but I guess if I have one more person on my side, it could help…'_

"Hey guys," TK called out to the two, "When you're done making up, let us know…we kind of want to leave."

Deciding that it was a good time to head back and to let their digimon heal, Ken and Cody stood up and, with their respective digimon in their arms, walked towards the rest of the group and departed back home.

* * *

Davis was sitting at his desk, looking extremely bored. He started his studies on mathematics when he got home from school and has not stopped ever since. Flipping through the textbook and finding numerous equations – equations that he didn't have the slightest clue with what he needed to do with them – Davis learned the main reason why he never studied…or the reason that he loathes it.

A knock from his door interrupted his studies. "Come on in," Davis wearily stated as his sister entered his room.

"Umm…dinner has been ready for over an hour now, I thought you would like to hear this little tidbit of information," Jun stated to her brother, very surprised to see Davis buried deep into his math book.

"Really," Davis was alarmed at his sister's announcement and, turning to face his clock on the nightstand, saw it read 7:30. "I've been studying for over four hours straight and I don't have the slightest clue on what to do."

Jun couldn't help but to giggle at her brother. "Well, I applaud you on your efforts on studying for your finals…next time though; you might want to start a tad bit earlier." With that statement made, Jun left his room, leaving a worn-out Davis reclining back on his chair.

Deciding to have a little dinner before resuming his studying, Davis got up from his chair and made his way into the kitchen where he saw DemiVeemon sitting on top of the table where Davis normally sits, eagerly waiting for him to arrive.

"Oh goody, I thought you would never show up," DemiVeemon said while trying to eat some of the chicken that was supposed to be eaten by Davis.

"Hey, c'mon now, I've been studying for four hours now and the last thing I want is for you to be eating my food," Davis snapped before sighing.

"I'm sorry, OK," Davis apologized after seeing his digimon looking very glum in mid-chew. "It's just that I'm freaking out with finals and dealing with Ken…I've never had this much pressure before."

"Maybe a short walk will do your head some good." DemiVeemon piped up, feeling happy after he heard Davis apologize.

"Yeah, maybe you're right…" Davis continued on eating in silence. When he was finished, he grabbed his jacket from the hanger and left for a little stroll, leaving DemiVeemon at home.

The frosty December air definitely made its way into Odaiba, leaving Davis kind of cold from just wearing his spring jacket. "I hope Mom doesn't make me bundle up for the next few days…" Davis was talking to himself while looking downward at the ground. All of a sudden, he felt himself colliding into someone else, causing both of them to fall to the ground.

"Watch where you're going," the person barked at Davis.

"Hey, watch where _**you're**_ going then, mister," Davis retorted back.

"Excuse me," the person stated. Upon hearing the voice, Davis recognized that he was in fact talking to a girl.

"Look, I'm sorry for running into you…" Davis was cut off mid-sentence as he looked up to see who he ran in to. Seeing right in front of him was a girl with blackish short hair wearing a light reddish skirt and a comfortable fitting jacket with a scarf around her neck.

"It's alright, I kind of have a lot of things on my mind," the girl replied back.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Davis stated with a bit of a chuckle. "So…hi, my name is Davis, who are you?" Davis decided to break the ice and ask the girl her name.

The girl hesitated before relying back, "My name's Noriko…"

* * *

**So there's Chapter 5 for y'all! I thought that adding Noriko early into the mix could cause a little bit of a flare and such...you'll just have to wait for my next update! :) Once again, please review; it'll help me out a bunch! Until next time, Irish is departing!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello once again everyone, IP here bringing you Chapter 6 of the revision. I am glad to state that this chapter will kind of start the plot off...yes, it will _at least_ start the plot off into what I have in store for you guys! I thank you all for currently reading and reviewing my story as it means a lot to me. So once again, I leave you guys to read, review, and enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

"So you have a digimon and are part of this group that fights off bad guys?" Noriko hesitatingly asked, still baffled by what Davis had just told her.

The two teenagers found a nice little park near where they ran into each other and decided to talk there. Davis decided to open up to Noriko about what has happened to him ever since he became a digidestined. To say that the girl was appalled about the stories that Davis told her would be an understatement.

"Yep, that's pretty much sums it up," Davis replies with a nod.

"I did feel bad for you when you had your digimon captured, but I was glad to see you and the rest were able to save him." Noriko stated, making Davis' facial expression turn into a more serious tone.

"You heard about the Digimon Emperor; how he was, how he acted, his cold-heartedness towards others," Davis rattled off.

"You don't believe that he's still that mean person…right," Noriko asked.

Davis sighed and looked up at the nighttime sky, "There's always a little part inside of me telling me to forgive, but I can't do that!"

"Why, haven't you ever forgiven friends before," Noriko quickly asked.

Davis kept his gaze up at the sky as he pondered on the question. He did forgive TK a long while back and now they are close friends. _'Maybe…maybe Ken and I _**can**_ become close friends…'_ Davis thought.

After a few seconds of silence, Noriko spoke up. "Look," she started, "If you aren't going to forgive Ken now, the best thing you can do is at least accept him as a teammate. You have to admit, he did pull you guys out of a few tough situations."

Davis slowly looked back at Noriko and simply nodded. "I guess you're right," he stated, "Maybe it is time that I accept Ken onto the team."

Noriko smiled at the digidestined, proud to know that her talk was able to wake Davis up and see who Ken is. "Tell me how it goes OK," Noriko stated, "I don't live that far from here, so feel free to visit whenever."

"Sounds good," Davis stated. Seeing that it was late into the night, both decided to depart back to their respective places. _'You know what…Noriko isn't all that bad of a girl…in a way, she reminds me of someone,'_ Davis pondered on this on his walk home. He thought long about his conversation with Noriko and saw that she was right; after all, Davis really didn't give Ken a fair chance before abusing him.

Turning up his street towards his complex, Davis was still thinking about Noriko. The way that she was able to talk to him after a simple run-in, able to see the good in people, knowing the right thing to do…_ 'That sounds a lot like me…but it seems like I haven't been acting that way,'_ Davis silently thought as he walked up towards his front door. Opening it and noticing that the time was late, he marched off to his bedroom, and after getting ready for bed he snuggled up near DemiVeemon and went off to sleep.

* * *

"Boy, do I feel exhausted," Patamon stated as he left out a heavy sigh. Since TK was focusing on studying for finals, the bat like critter decided to start a talk in the living room with Gatomon via the D-Terminal's speaking control, acting like a phone.

"I certainly feel you," Gatomon droned out, clearly showing her tiredness and a bit of boredom.

Patamon picked up on this hint of boredom from his friend and decided to ask, "You miss him, don't you?"

Gatomon sighed before stating, "Kind of…I know it was just a day, but it feels like it's been longer than that."

"You can't ignore the feelings now, huh," Patamon piped up.

"I'm only telling you this because you are one of my closest friends," Gatomon stated before continuing, "I feel the connection between us growing stronger, and I'm kind of worried about what Kari would say about me and Veemon."

"When the time comes, you'll tell her," Patamon reassured his friend.

Gatomon sighed before speaking. "I'm just nervous to tell her and scared about what she'll think of the relationship."

"Like I said before Gatomon, when the time is right you will tell Kari." Patamon once again told his friend.

Gatomon thought about this response for a bit. _'You know, I think when the time comes, I'll be a little bit calmer about this whole scenario,'_ Gatomon happily thought to herself, able to see what her friend was stating.

"I think you and Veemon need to talk about this tomorrow," Patamon brought up after a couple seconds of silence.

"You might be right," Gatomon replied, "It might be best for the both of us to talk about this; I want to know how he feels as well."

"You aren't nervous about talking to _**him**_ now, right," Patamon let up a little chuckle at his statement.

Gatomon shared a laugh before replying, "No silly, I'm not…I really want to know how our connection is doing and how he thinks we are doing."

"How about we get to sleep and wait for tomorrow," Patamon stated, seeing how it was late and it was a sure guarantee that TK was done with studying.

"Sounds like a plan; thanks for the talk Patamon," Gatomon stated.

"Not a problem, it's what a friend does," Patamon replied back before shutting off the D-Terminal and heading off into TK's room.

Gatomon closed Kari's D-Terminal and sat on the couch in the living room, pondering about what was just discussed. _'I truly wonder how Veemon thinks of our friendship now…and about our relationship to come…'_ Not wanting to put more stress on the subject, Gatomon decided to retire into Kari's bedroom for her slumber.

* * *

The morning sun seemed to do the job of waking Ken up, shining brightly through his sliding door. Even though he could pass his finals with flying colors, he could not afford to miss a day of school this week in order to stay under the maximum of days missed, which he achieved when he was away in the Digital World back as the Emperor.

"Good to see you up," Wormmon spoke up, seeing the teenager getting out of his bed.

Ken looked at his partner lying down on his bed and smiled, "Well, why else wouldn't I be up."

Wormmon couldn't help but to chuckle at his statement. "I don't know, I'm just glad to see you awake and alright."

Ken looked quizzically at his partner before stating, "What do you mean by that?"

"You were kind of keeping me up last night…just a little bit with your tossing and turning." Wormmon responded back.

Ken looked down and sighed, vividly remembering what he dreamt about. "I saw Arukenimon causing more pain on us; she's going to attack today."

"How do you know," Wormmon questioned.

"I have this feeling that she's going to attack with something…" Ken started to ponder at this before a thought dawned on him. "She's going to create another spire-born digimon."

"Uh oh, you want us to destroy more spires, right?" Wormmon asked.

"You guys need to…this creation could evidently destroy all of us." Ken stated as he decided to hop down from his bed onto his floor.

"Well alright, if you need us to," Wormmon responded, still on the bed.

Ken looked up and beamed at his partner, "C'mon, it won't be that bad…" His sentence was interrupted when a knock at the door was heard.

"Ken, are you coming out for breakfast," Mrs. Ichijouji asked, "We don't it to get cold."

"Yeah mother, I'll be right out," Ken responded as he heard footsteps leaving the doorway. "That was close," Ken stated as he grabbed Wormmon off of the bed.

"You're going to have to tell them eventually," Wormmon pointed out the obvious.

"I know, I know…I'll do it when the time's right," Ken said, admitting that he wasn't ready to tell his story to his parents.

"Can it be today…or the next two days," Wormmon pointed out as he looked at Ken's knapsack, "I can't stand being squished all day much longer."

Ken let out a small, joyous laugh. "I have finals in two days so I've been studying a bit…"

"Except you don't really need to," Wormmon pointed out.

Ken shook his head while smiling at the little caterpillar like digimon. _'Well, at least he agrees on the no studying fact…'_ Seeing that he didn't want to be late or wait any longer to eat, Ken readied his knapsack with an upset Wormmon inside of it for the day ahead.

* * *

"Wait, he's been doing _**what**_?" Yolei was surely astonished when she heard from TK and Kari at lunch about the type of productive morning Davis was having. Though the young teen would normally snooze during first class, Davis was actually alert, catching many of the students (especially TK and Kari) by surprise.

"He's been paying attention all morning…must be gearing up towards finals," Kari stated, looking down upon the grub that the school was serving.

"Apparently he needs some good grades if he's going to be able to help out in the Digital World," TK responded while looking down at his tray of food.

The three teenagers ate in silence until Davis showed up, grumbling under his breath about the cafeteria's food and whatnot. The group was silent for a few seconds until Yolei finally spoke up.

"So, Davis, what's with you and the studying?" Yolei asked.

"Simple…I need good grades on my finals or else I can't partake in the Digital World for a while," Davis responded.

"Yeah, but it's kind of awkward seeing you in class not falling asleep…no offense," Kari stated.

Davis couldn't help but to chuckle at Kari's comment. "OK, so I'm apparently lazy when it comes to school…it took you guys long enough to notice."

The rest of the group nodded their head while they continued to eat. _'It's not like I'm stupid or anything…it's just that nothing here impresses me, and I have the Digital World to worry about…not sure why everyone suddenly cares when I spend a few hours studying,' _Davis silently thought. Most of this was true; Davis was not stupid, he just didn't have the audacity to apply himself to his studies up until now when it matters the most.

"Anyway, I got a message from Ken," TK spoke out, "He says that we need to meet in a certain location today which has tons of control spires around."

"Well, I'm guessing that we'll be destroying them today, huh," Yolei asked.

"You might be right…looks like another long day ahead of us," Kari responded.

"Wait…what about finals. We need to be able to study," Davis pondered aloud.

"So we'll just be in the Digital World for an hour or two and once we are done destroying spires, you can go on with your studying," Yolei stated to the leader.

"Besides," TK spoke out, "You've missed the past two days…and sooner or later, you'll have to face Ken."

Davis grunted but accepted the plan that they drew out. It was true; he did miss the past two days, which has hurt Veemon greatly. _'The little guy did miss out on a few days…I can't disappoint him again,'_ Davis pondered alone. Plus, TK was right about how Davis would have to face Ken sooner or later. The bell rang a couple of minutes later, signaling students to move on to their classes. With some 'see you later' tossed around, the group dispersed on for the rest of their day.

* * *

"Wow, you guys were awfully quick to get here," Ken told the rest of the group as they walked up to him. Behind him were tons of control spires near a mountain, with some of them being demolished by Stingmon.

"Yeah, and you're awfully quick to destroy these spires," Kari stated as she saw Stingmon already hard at work.

"Well, we kind of need to hurry and destroy many of them before Arukenimon shows up," Ken retorted back.

"How come," Cody asked wondering why this task was so important.

Ken sighed before explaining his dream last night of a creature that Arukenimon created out of the spires right around the area. "We are trying to one up her again, and this time we'll destroy that woman and her lackey," Ken stated.

The others couldn't argue on that statement, and one by one, each partner had their digimon digivolve to assist Stingmon in destroying the control spires…well, almost all of them.

"Hey Veemon, mind if we talk for a bit," Davis asked the dragon like digimon.

"Sure thing," Veemon stated as the two walked a bit away from the group, insuring their privacy.

"Look, last night I had a talk with someone…" Davis started off but was interrupted.

"With who," Veemon piped up, eager to know.

"You'll find out later," Davis stated before continuing, "Anyway, forgiveness was a main point that we talked about, and I don't remember ever doing it…so I want to apologize for my actions last week when we were fixing up the Digital World."

It took Veemon a minute to understand what Davis was trying to explain. Then he remembered the day that he first digivolved into ExVeemon…and the argument well before that.

"It's OK Davis," Veemon looked up and reassured his partner with a smile, "I forgive you…I forgave you a while back actually, I just wanted to hear you say it."

Davis chuckled at his partner and dropped down to his height to deliver him a hug. "Thanks Veemon, I promise I won't blow up like that except for a good enough reason…and I wish you and Gatomon the best of luck with your relationship."

"You know, she wants to talk to me about that later…I hope it works out," Veemon stated as he broke off the hug.

"Don't you worry about it now; let's just get to work," Davis stated while getting his digivice out from his pocket. Digivolving into ExVeemon, he took off with the others to help them destroy the spires.

* * *

Within the next ninety minutes, the group was able to destroy over a couple dozen control spires. The group was now taking a little breather, looking over at the work that they have just achieved.

"Well, I think that covers what we needed to do," TK started to say, hoping that this was all they needed to do.

"I agree," Kari added, "We destroyed a lot of spires, so I don't think Arukenimon will be a threat to us now."

Ken looked upon the grassy terrain, not really paying attention to what the two teenagers stated as his mind drifted off. _'I know he accomplished a lot today, but I still feel like Arukenimon can still be a threat…' _He pondered on this for just a brief moment as the sound of wheels churning in the grass could be heard in the distance.

"Looks like we have company," Yolei stated as, sure enough, Arukenimon and Mummymon came driving up in the jeep. Both look very displeased with the work that the group has just completed.

"Well, well, would you look at this," Arukenimon stated as she got out of the jeep, "Seems like someone one-stepped me _**again**_."

"What are you going to do about it," Ken retorted at the woman, "Obviously your plan was foiled, so you might as well just turn your jeep around and drive off into the distance."

"Oh look, we have a funny guy here," Mummymon stated, now standing next to Arukenimon, "What do you think we should do first hun?"

Arukenimon ignored the last part of her lackey's comment and stated in her snarly voice, "Why don't you take care of them first."

"What do you guys have in store for us, huh," Cody lashed out at the duo.

Mummymon couldn't help but to laugh as he slowly transformed. The group was startled as they saw Mummymon's wardrobe, consisting of a long blue trench coat with a hat, disappear and an actual mummy digimon stood in its place.

"What in the world…" Kari spoke out as she showed her emotions with the current situation.

"Oh, look at me," Mummymon commented, "Well, well, well…an ultimate against a few champions; this looks like a fun challenge."

"We'll see about that," Davis bellowed out, "ExVeemon, show this creep what you're made of."

"You got it, Davis," ExVeemon sprinted over to Mummymon, preparing to attack. However, Mummymon had a plan of his own. By using his Snake Bandage attack, the ultimate drew out bandages around his arms and strapped them around ExVeemon, holding him firmly in place.

Mummymon gave a sly smile as his first attack worked, and with his hands free, he grasped his Obelisk and pointed it towards the strapped champion. Using his Necrophobia attack, he shot his gun off at ExVeemon, which did great damage to the champion. When Mummymon's attack was over, ExVeemon seemed defeated but he wasn't going to go down easily. He then flew up and charged his Vee Laser attack, which directly hit the ultimate digimon. Mummymon flew backwards a bit, falling flat on his back. Deciding that enough was enough, Mummymon coiled ExVeemon's legs with his bandages and, spinning him around at a rigorous pace, finally let him free to go towards the shocked group. ExVeemon crashed hard right in front of them, who in turn de-digivolved back into Veemon.

"Veemon," Davis was startled to see that Mummymon easily defeated his partner, "C'mon buddy, get up."

Veemon was breathing slowly as he looked around to his surroundings. "What just happened," he couldn't help but to ask Davis, who was kneeling near him.

"You got your butt whooped, that's what happened," Mummymon took this time to brag about his little victory.

"Anyone else care to try him out," Arukenimon seemed pleased as she had nothing to do with the easy defeat of ExVeemon.

"How about we try _**you**_ out," Yolei furiously stated as she commanded Aquilamon to attack her.

Arukenimon let out a little chuckle as she began to transform. The group once again was taken aback when they saw the woman transforming into a spider like creature, standing on six appendages which held up her large abdomen.

Aquilamon didn't seem to care about the transformation as he continued to charge at the now ultimate digimon. Charging up his Grand Horn attack, Aquilamon slammed into Arukenimon, sending her backwards just a bit. Arukenimon used her Spider Thread attack, launching a sharp wire trying to entrap Aquilamon. Seeing the attack coming towards him, Aquilamon flew by the attack and used his Blast Rings attack to again blast Arukenimon back a few feet.

"This isn't doing anything," Yolei complained, seeing as how Aquilamon is efficiently attacking Arukenimon yet no major damage has been done.

"Maybe we need a few more digimon to attack; that way, we can be able to scare them off," TK stated as he looked up towards Pegasusmon.

"Sounds like a good plan," Kari stated as she looked up and nodded at Nefertimon.

With the idea of attacking as a group, Pegasusmon and Nefertimon took off towards Arukenimon in order to aid Aquilamon in the battle. Seeing the three champions swooping down upon her, Arukenimon released her Acid Mist attack from her mouth, to stun all three of the digimon. Seeing them as useless distractions, Arukenimon finished them off with a few whippings with her Spider Thread attack.

"This isn't working, we need to help them out," Cody stated as he turned to Ankylomon.

"I agree, we need to show her who's boss," Ken commanded, looking up at Stingmon.

Both digimon charged towards Arukenimon, ready to attack her and help save their friends. Mummymon saw an opportunity to contribute just a bit more and coiled Ankylomon with his bandages, simply holding him in place.

"Go on ahead, I'll keep him distracted," Ankylomon told Stingmon as the latter agreed to do so.

Stingmon decided to officially end Arukenimon's little reign of terror by pulling out his Spiking Strike and readied himself to attack the ultimate. Arukenimon looked up from her current position in beating down the current digimon and saw Stingmon approaching at her fast. Without any hesitation, Arukenimon was able to avoid Stingmon's deadly attack by side-stepping away, causing Stingmon to crash where she once stood into the ground.

Having all of his appendages being held by bandages, including his tail, Ankylomon was a sitting duck. He couldn't do a single thing to Mummymon and was hoping for one of the others to come assist him. When he saw the status that the others were currently in, Ankylomon knew that he was easily defeated. Seeing that this battle could and should be over by now, Mummymon pulled out his Obelisk and released his attack on the helpless champion, dealing great damage and eventually blasting him back and into the ground, causing him to de-digivolve back into Armadillomon.

"How are you holding up," Cody asked his partner, who was now lying on his side.

Armadillomon could only mumble as he showed how greatly affected he was by the ultimate's attack.

"This isn't looking good," Davis stated as he held Veemon in his arms, "I thought we could easily cream these guys."

"We all though so…apparently, they are going to be a bigger challenge than we originally thought," Ken stated back.

"Now, who else could I afflict pain on," Mummymon pondered aloud as he turned his attention to Aquilamon, Pegasusmon, Nefertimon, and Stingmon all on the ground near Arukenimon. Signaling to her an evil snare, he readied his Obelisk once again and attacked the worn out digimon. As he was doing this, Arukenimon continued on with her whipping on the helpless champions. After a few minutes of brutal beatings, all the champions were beyond worn out and simply de-digivolved back into their rookie states, trying to maintain as much energy as they had left in them.

Seeing the digidestined easily defeated, Arukenimon and Mummymon shifted back into their human forms and looked around, glad to see the destruction that they caused.

"Well, look at this," Arukenimon coldly stated, "You thought you could one up us…well, look what we just did to you all."

"You guys don't stand a chance against us," Mummymon stated, glad that the battle was over with.

Seeing that the group was strongly affected by their performance, the duo got into their jeep and drove off, leaving the group in absolute despair and awe.

* * *

The group looked on in utter despair, still trying to piece together the battle that just occurred. Even with six champion leveled digimon, it was not enough to take down two ultimate level ones.

"Well, looks like we have our work cut out for us, huh," TK stated while looking down at a barely conscious Patamon in his arms.

"What do you mean by that," Cody asked, kneeling over to check over any serious injuries that Armadillomon might have had.

"I think he means that we know what we need to do next, and that's defeat Arukenimon and Mummymon," Yolei stated as she had Hawkmon in her arms, looking very weary.

"It's only going to get worse from here," Kari pointed out, looking down at Gatomon who refused to show her weakness.

"You can say that again…I think it's important that we all stay together," Ken commented, looking down at Wormmon slowly breathing in his arms.

"I agree," Davis replied back, "And I think with what happened during the past few days, I can see that we will need everyone here in order to beat those guys."

Davis drew in a quick breath before turning to Ken and stating, "Ken, I can't thank you enough for helping out the team over the past few days and, though I don't fully accept you as a person due to past issues, I can accept you as part of the team in hoping that with you by our side, we will be able to bring peace back to the Digital World…so, what do you say," Davis finished up his little speech by extending his hand towards Ken.

Ken looked at Davis' outstretched hand, pondering on what to do. _'I know that he doesn't see me as a good person yet, how I do not know…but maybe with a bit of patience, I can show him how I've truly changed.'_ Ken smiled at Davis while accepting the handshake, agreeing to terms on being a true member of the digidestined.

* * *

Seeing as they had a little bit of daylight to burn up in the Digital World before heading back to the real world, and evidently studying for upcoming finals, the group decided to relax as they waited for their digimon to fully recoup.

Lying down on the ground away from the group and looking up at the sky, Veemon was trying his best to think about what to say to Gatomon. Unfortunately, he didn't have much time to think as Gatomon hovered over him. "Can we please talk," Gatomon asked her friend.

Veemon sat up from his laying down position and looked at his friend. "Sure," he said.

Gatomon took a seat right next to Veemon and started off. "I don't know how else I can explain this to you, so I'll just come right out and say it: what do you think of me now?"

Veemon thought carefully on what he was going to reply with, and after a few seconds he stated, "I think of you as being a great friend to me as you are there when I need you the most…I do feel as though our friendship is only getting stronger and I am glad by this."

Gatomon flashed a little smile before continuing, "I'm glad you think of me as a great friend, but isn't there anything else that you think of me…something along the lines of a girlfriend?"

Veemon looked down at his feet, easily showing his nervousness with the question that was just asked. "I…I truly don't know right now. Don't get me wrong; I've been thinking about this a lot ever since the cave incident back a couple of months ago. It's been driving me insane to the point where I just don't know what to do."

Gatomon inched her way towards Veemon, eventually laying her paw onto his hand. "I think that within the next week or two, we need to decide on whether we will be ready to move on into the next step or not."

Veemon looked down to see Gatomon's paw resting on top of his hand and decided to intertwine his fingers through hers. "I think I'll know my answer at that time," he stated while smiling at Gatomon, which only made Gatomon smile the greater.

* * *

Looking over her notes for her upcoming finals, Noriko couldn't help but to break out with a cough every now and again. She knew that staying out late with Davis last night was a bad idea, and it has showed off with her almost being sick. _'I can't let my parents know about this little cough that I have…'_ Knowing that questions would start to arise if her parents knew that she was coming down with something, Noriko decided to take a bit of a stroll as she also needed a break from studying. Donning on her attire that she had on yesterday, she decided to add a little surgeon mask (that her mother has brought home from her workplace) to her face to keep part of her face warm and away from the cold.

However, when walking around Odaiba, Noriko couldn't help but to feel that someone was following her. She quickly shook that notion out of her head as she continued on with her little stroll, wondering how Davis did in the Digital World today. Unbeknownst to her thought, a figure was lurking in the alley way, showing a menacing smirk on the face.

Stepping out of the shadow was a tall, pale man donning on a long purple trench coat with long black hair dropping down to his shoulders. Deciding not to waste another minute, the mysterious man grabbed his cell phone out of his coat pocket and dialed a number. With a response from the other line, it was Arukenimon.

"Listen master, I am sorry that we weren't able to fully defeat the minions, but we at least gave them a good whooping," Arukenimon stated.

"We sure did," Mummymon reassured to the fellow, "Next time they'll think twice about messing with us."

"I'm glad to hear that," the man stated in a droned-out voice, "But I think I can whip up something fierce with a little target practice."

"But master, are you sure about this," Arukenimon asked.

"Oh believe me," the man stated while turning his attention towards Noriko, "Once I have her under my spell, the others will see what's going on and will quickly help. That is where I'll come in and I will easily destroy the digidestined once and for all…"

* * *

**Well there's Chapter 6 for you guys. I should apologize for the slight delay with this chapter coming out as I was kind of busy this week and had a bit of writer's block...well, not much of writer's block as it was the motivation to actually start the chapter. Be on the look out for the next chapter next week, as this is IrishPanther signing off!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello everyone, Irish here again with Chapter 7 of my story! I thank you all for reading and reviewing my work so far! This chapter, though it will be sort of similar to Episode 31 of the second season (Opposites Attract), will play out a huge role leading into the next chapter...which is where the plot can actually move forward. So as always, read, review, and enjoy this chapter!**

**By the way, Happy Odaiba Day to everyone! Today marks the 13th anniversary that the then seven original digidestined went off into the Digital World, and the 10th anniversary that the 02 kids went through the same thing! Pretty exciting that I got this update done today! With this little annoucement done, I continue on to the story!**

* * *

The digidestined eventually made their way back into the real world and off into their respective places, all seemingly fretting about the upcoming finals the day after tomorrow. Though the kids knew that the pre-testing nerves will subside once testing begins and ends for them, it didn't stop the nervousness from coming.

One person, however, seemed as though the fret never came, which is good in terms of relaxation and preparation for the upcoming exams. With the fact that she already took the time to look over notes little by little for the past week, Yolei was in good shape to ace her exams. This allowed her to focus on something in particular…

Currently, Yolei was lying down on her stomach, fiddling with her hair as she continued to draw sigh after sigh. Poromon, who was trying his best not to get annoyed by his partner's current attitude, couldn't stand to see Yolei in this state and decided to state the obvious.

"Something's bothering you isn't it," Poromon spoke up from his position on the lamp post.

Yolei looked at Poromon with dreary eyes as she shook her head in response to the question.

"Well," Poromon started while flying over to Yolei's bed, landing next to her, "Why don't you talk about it."

Yolei glanced over at the In-Training digimon and, breathing out a short breath, she decided to talk with her partner about the problem that she is currently facing.

"I kind of like Ken," Yolei started off, "I mean, more than a friend. It might have only been a few days since he's joined us, but I have this strange feeling that we kind of go together." Yolei then started to reminisce about the soccer game that occurred between Davis and Kens' respective teams a couple months ago and how she was head over heels for Ken. She gave a small chuckle at the memory before continuing, "I still remember that game when I was crazy over him…"

"Yep, who _**couldn't**_ forget that game…?" Poromon interrupted Yolei, slightly remembering the way that Yolei aggravatingly manhandled him.

Yolei let out a small laugh at that memory. "Oh Poromon, you know I was sorry about that little rough housing I was doing with you…" Yolei stated while pinching one of Poromon's cheeks, which made him wince.

"Anyway," Yolei continued on, "I'm just kind of nervous about telling Ken what I truly feel about him. I don't want him returning my feelings for him, plus with everything he's been through, I don't think he's ready for a committed relationship."

"He needs someone though Yolei," Poromon chirped up, "Who's saying that it can't be you?"

Yolei pondered on what Poromon just asked her. What Ken needed right now was support, and though the team did their best to give him that, what would be a little bit more attention for him. With this thought circling around her head, and seeing that she needed a lot of rest to reassure herself for a decent review day tomorrow for her exams, Yolei decided to turn in for the night.

* * *

With the sound of the alarm clock going off by her bed, Noriko hesitantly awoke from her slumber and hit the snooze button. After the uncanny feeling she felt last night on her little walk made her body feel very edgy. Though she thought that a good night sleep would cure this debacle, the answer was written all over the young girl's body expression as Noriko – with her hands shaking timidly – reached over to her clock and turned off her alarm before pulling off the covers and heading out for some breakfast.

When she reached the kitchen, Noriko saw her mother Isamu all ready to head out for work. As a nurse, Isamu has to be adaptable to whatever may come her way and, in a bizarre sense, taking over two weeks of double shifts didn't seem to have an effect on her.

"Hey honey," Isamu stated while pulling on her long, dark hair, "I'm running a tad late to work now, breakfast is on the stove and if you need anything, just buzz me at work."

Before Noriko could utter a simple good morning, her mother was already out the door. Noriko let out a simple sigh before heading over to see some simple bacon and eggs on the stove. Grabbing a plate from the cabinet, she served herself a good portion before sitting down alone at the table and started to eat alone.

Noriko was very grateful for both her parents taking a few weeks from working to spend time with her. With her mother being a nurse and her father being in management – having a job as an insurance agent which required long hours at work – Noriko rarely saw her parents. In a way, she was happy when she met Davis. Noriko thought of him as someone to communicate with when you had nobody else around you.

'_I wonder if I should tell him about last night…'_ Noriko pondered on this while she continued eating her breakfast. It would be someone to talk to about the scenario that she experienced, as well as seeing if it related to what Davis was dealing with in any way possible. After she finished her breakfast and cleaned up, she prepared herself for the school day ahead. Donning on her usual attire, along with her mask, she walked out the front door and headed off. Even before she felt the chilly December air hit her body, she was already feeling chills as the lone thought came that someone was spying on her…

* * *

The school day for all of the group members went by slowly and painfully. With it being the day before exams and with the teachers going over material after painful material that they covered throughout the term, they were eagerly happy when the end of the day rolled around and they were all waiting in the computer lab to head off into the Digital World.

"So, you guys ready for your tests…" Cody decided to ask upon the rest of the group apprehensively. Since he was still in elementary school, Cody lucked out on not partaking in what the older kids had to endure.

"Meh, I guess I'm alright," Davis stated aloud, though his mind was telling him something different. _'OK, four tests tomorrow; one bad grade on anything and its good-bye to saving the Digital World…no pressure or nothing,'_ Davis pondered in a frightened tone.

"You'll do just fine; stop worrying so much," TK tried his best to reassure his friend on tomorrow's exams.

"Yeah," Kari added on, "Besides, you're a shoe-in to get two decent grades."

"What about the other two grades," Yolei spoke up.

Davis breathed out a sigh and stated, "Let's not talk about this right now…"

He had to admit though that two of his tests, geography and history, would be easy for him. Knowing simple facts about the world and about Japan's past was surprisingly easy for him to learn. It was math and science – two of the more rigorous exams – that would be a struggle for the boy, as he knew very little about the subjects.

"I have an idea," TK said, "Since we need to finish up studying for exams, how about we take an easy day off in the Digital World."

"But TK," Kari spoke up, "What about Arukenimon and Mummymon; surely they are able to come up at any given point and give us trouble."

"We'll just do our best to avoid them at all costs," Cody retorted. Scuffling his shoes on the tiled floor of the computer lab, Cody suddenly had something on his mind. "Speaking of avoiding, how do we avoid getting caught while sneaking in here when the school is shut down?"

All the kids fell silent at this question. Since tomorrow was the last day of the term, the school would be closed off for a matter of weeks before school resumed for another term.

"Don't worry about it now," Yolei responded, "We'll find a way around it."

"Alright then," Davis stated, "If we are good here, then let's enjoy some peace and relaxation." And with that statement, the children all were teleported through the Digital Gate into the Digital World.

* * *

Walking through a misty forest full of trees and roots was not part of the relaxation plan that the group had back in the lab. The strange part about this is that, through their walkabout, they have not spotted Ken yet. The group has been in for at least a good thirty minutes and they thought that, by now at least, they would have spotted the boy genius.

"Well," Patamon broke the silence by asking, "What now?"

"Good question, but too hard to answer," Gatomon retorted.

"We've been wandering this forest for a while now," Armadillomon commented, "I'm shocked that we haven't found an exit."

"An exit to what, this forest seems like it'll never end," Veemon spoke up.

"Oh dear, I was worried about this little trip all along," Hawkmon timidly stated.

"C'mon guys," Kari turned to see the digimon in a down-beat mood, "It shouldn't be that far of a walk. You guys can rest in a bit."

"Yeah, when we head out of this forest, there should be something relaxing for us," TK stated.

The digimon all weakly nodded, not wanting to make matters worse and not wanting to complain any longer, seeing as that would do them no good. The group kept on walking while Gatomon was having a little look around at the particular place.

"What's the matter," Patamon saw the feline looking anxiously around, "Did you see anything?"

Gatomon shook her head, too deep in thought to give a reply.

"Was it something that happened here?" Veemon asked. It was at this question that Gatomon's eyes grew wide…

"That's it," Gatomon exclaimed, surprising the rest of the group, "This is where I lost my tail ring!"

"Are you sure," Kari asked her partner.

"I'm almost positive…I still remember when it occurred. Back when _**he**_ was in charge of the Digital World." Gatomon refrained from using Ken's name to emphasize the sudden change in the boy since his reign as the Emperor. "If it wasn't for that Unimon, I would be fierce; I wouldn't be like any of the rookies…no offense to you guys." Gatomon added the last statement when she saw her friends looking at her quizzically.

"None taken," Hawkmon stated.

"Maybe some enemies would have taken me serious with my powerful ring instead of tossing me aside like a household cat." Gatomon stated, showing daggers within her blue eyes.

"Well, I think I know what we are going to do today," TK stated.

"We are going to look for Gatomon's tail ring, right," Yolei couldn't help but to ask.

"You sure right we are," Davis positively exclaimed, seeing now that the group had _**something**_ of importance to do besides walk aimlessly. "The guys will look in one place while the girls search in another."

"Sounds like a great plan," Kari pointed out.

"Good enough for me," Cody stated while giving a small little chuckle towards Davis, "And I'm guessing the plan sounds better with Kari's word of agreement."

Davis showed a little smile at his small companion as he mentioned his close friend and her agreeing to the plan. "Well what, you guys thought I had this planned out or something."

"Sounds like it to me," Veemon piped up, which made Davis chuckle a bit.

"Alright gang, split up and try to find the ring. If we can't find anything in an hour or two, let's meet up back here and we can head out." TK stated, pointing to the ferocious strangle of roots shooting out of the ground, indicating the place where the group would meet up. Without any hesitation, Kari and Yolei went down one pathway while the guys headed down another.

* * *

Walking in the same abysmal forest in an area not far away, Ken was pondering over the sight of the tall gloomy trees. He couldn't shake a certain feeling off, a feeling of despair that he felt the second he started to trench through the forest. Wormmon noticed his partner acting out, usually zoning out when the caterpillar asked him questions, and he demanded answers from him now.

"Ken, I know you aren't feeling alright," Wormmon pleaded, "I can see it in your eyes. Let's go back and you can get some rest, OK?"

Once again, Ken didn't respond to Wormmon's question, nonetheless hear and obtain it. His mind was racing in synch with his heart beats, over a million a second. It might seem like an exaggeration, but the feeling that Ken had in him was put into this perspective.

Suddenly, a memory started to fill Ken's mind. It was the memory that he has received his D-3. While traveling in the Digital World after his brother's death, he traversed over into a place that affected his inner being for years. The place itself wasn't hard at all to remember; he still saw the bland colors all around him and water that crashed the beach, just like a normal ocean world do. During that time though, Ken felt desperate, saddened by the loss of his brother and, surely enough, grief took over. He thought that this was the place to escape all of those feelings, but it turned into something that he would never have expected. The Digimon Emperor was born in that place; the vivid image of the digivice transforming and Ken, as a young boy, grasped it in his hands and exclaiming it as his.

The memory was too much for Ken; he couldn't stand the thought of that memory, as it had started all of the problems that he has been dealing with. Falling to his knees, Ken screamed out in agony, wishing for the pain to subside.

"Oh no, Ken," Wormmon exclaimed. The insect digimon knew Ken well enough to know when he was going through his dark thoughts, as he had put them. "Somebody please help!" Wormmon had no other option but to plead for aid.

* * *

The girls were hard at work, looking amongst the many trees and roots in order to find Gatomon's tail ring. Nevertheless, their search would be stopped when they heard a piercing scream off in the distance.

"That sounds like Ken," Kari stated, "Let's go."

Without any hesitation, Kari and Yolei (with their digimon) made their way over to where Ken was kneeling on the ground. The memory was finally gone and once the screaming subsided, Ken was breathing to the point of hyperventilating.

"Ken," Kari went over and knelt down to meet the boy's eyes "Are you alright?"

"I'm…I'm fine," Ken timidly whispered out, still in pain from the memory.

"What happened?" Yolei questioned, "We were searching all over for you first, then got caught up looking for Gatomon's tail ring until we heard you nearby."

"I felt darkness all over me…I saw the Dark Ocean," Ken came right out and stated.

"The Dark Ocean?" Kari started to ponder on the simple place until she vividly remembered her encounter with the place, "I know what you are talking about."

"You do," Ken couldn't help but to ask the girl, not knowing that Kari was taken a few months ago from the same place of darkness.

"Wait, what Dark Ocean?" Yolei quizzically looked around her, "We aren't anywhere near an ocean at all?"

"It's something completely different Yolei," Gatomon spoke up, "It's a real place and a scary one at that."

"Look," Kari helped Ken up to his feet, "We need to head back and tell the others what just occurred. I think we need to leave now before things get worse."

Ken weakly shook his head in agreement, wanting to leave this place as soon as possible. However, as the group wandered on back to where they originally were, they couldn't help but to notice around them that the scenery around them was starting to lose its color and that the dense air made the hazy fog even denser. In a bizarre way, the trio was teleported off into a different place…

* * *

The boys continued to search through thick and thin to obtain the ring, but luck wasn't really on their side as well.

"This is hopeless, it's going to be impossible to find a small ring in all this muck," Armadillomon commented as he was busy searching through nearby bushes.

"C'mon, we can't just give up now; we haven't been at this for long," TK pointed out as he turned over dirt and rocks to find the ring.

Davis was busy looking through several branches when he heard a buzz going off on his D-3. Scanning it, he saw three dots mysteriously floating away.

"Guys, come check this out," Davis bellowed for the group to come closer to him.

After looking at the screen, TK was assured of who the dots represented. "That must be Yolei and Kari…and they must have found Ken. But where are they heading to?" TK couldn't help but to heatedly ponder.

"Let's split up," Cody suggested, "It's more important to search for the group now and wait to look for the ring later."

With a head nod between the two teens, Davis, TK, and Cody all split up with their respective digimon in search for the other half of the group, hoping that they didn't traverse that far…

* * *

"This is strange," Kari pointed out, "All of these trees seem really gloomy, and I mean _**all**_ of them."

"Wait, we might be lost?" Yolei asked, showing some tone of nervousness in her voice.

"Don't worry," Ken reassured both of the girls, "Someone will come and rescue us any minute now."

Sure enough, as Ken finished his statement up, Davis and Veemon appeared a good distance away from the lost group.

"We're saved!" Hawkmon exclaimed, "Veemon, over here."

"I think I heard someone," Veemon stated, thinking he heard a noise off in the distance. Deciding to see who it was, he ran over to the place.

"There you guys are, we were getting worried for a moment," Yolei ran towards Davis as Davis ran right through her. "What? Davis?"

"Veemon, so glad you came and helped…" Hawkmon's sentence was cut off as Veemon ran right through him. "Eh, what's going on?"

"I swear I heard someone over here Davis," Veemon stated while scratching his head, confused as to who he heard.

"Veemon, we are right here," Gatomon spoke up, hoping that her best friend would hear her plea.

Nonetheless, neither Davis nor Veemon heard Gatomon's plea as both of them took off in the distance, yelling out names of the departure group in hope that they find them sooner than later.

"Well, that was strange," Wormmon piped up as the rest stood in disbelief on what just occurred.

* * *

"Did you guys have any luck?" TK announced as the rest of the guys made their way back to each other.

"No, none at all," Cody responded.

"Well, we thought we heard something…but it must have been something else," Davis responded as well.

"This is really strange," Patamon spoke up, "It seems as though they have vanished without leaving any traces."

"You don't think Arukenimon and Mummymon are behind this, right," Armadillomon asked around.

"I don't think so," Cody retorted, "It seems too mystical of an occurrence that those two would have any effect on this at all."

"I agree," Davis specified, "Besides, it seems as though we can't help at all."

"I hope the others are alright," Veemon sadly stated. "I wish they get out of this mess soon."

"Don't worry, they got their partners to protect them," TK reassured the dragon digimon, "Plus, what Davis said might be true; it might be something that we can't help them with."

* * *

The trio kept on walking through the treachery forest, still finding a way out of the situation that they have gotten themselves into. Yolei was in the back, following Kari and Ken who are conversing with one another.

"This is strange," Ken stated, "If we don't know where we are, how in the world are we supposed to find our way home?"

"We don't give up," Kari reassured him, "We keep on moving until we find our way out of here."

"I know that, but I just feel desperate that we might not find our way out of here." Ken stated in a somber mood.

"Don't think like that," Kari once again trying to reassure Ken, "You have to think positive; there are too many people that want us back and we want to be back as well, so we won't stop until we are back to where we were."

Yolei was silently eavesdropping on the conversation and felt a bit betrayed. She didn't understand how Ken and Kari could be easily talking to each other in a situation like the one that they are in.

"So, it will be a good idea to let me know what you guys plan on telling me about your little charade," Yolei blurted out, stopping everyone in their tracks.

"Yolei, what are you talking about," Kari did her best to calm her friend down, but failed to do so.

"You guys keep on talking to each other and leaving me out in the dust; I thought I would expect more from you guys, considering the fact that we are a team." With this statement, Yolei marched her way into the leader position and kept on trudging along with Hawkmon in tow, leaving the rest behind in disbelief.

"Don't blame her," Wormmon spoke up, "Yolei doesn't know what you guys have been through with the Dark Ocean."

"Yeah, I say we should apologize and give her a clear explanation on what's going on," Gatomon stated.

With a nod from each of the humans, they went off to catch up to Yolei.

* * *

"I don't understand Hawkmon," Yolei started off, "How can Ken and Kari have a better bond and they haven't even known each other for that long."

"True, but you haven't known Ken for that long yet either," Hawkmon retorted.

"I guess you're right," Yolei sighed at hearing her partner's response, "Ken must hate me right now…guess like it's going to be hard to talk to him about my feelings."

"Give it some time," Hawkmon stated as the duo reached a cliff, "You'll know when you can tell him."

Yolei wasn't paying much attention to Hawkmon as she was looking down the cliff and a sparkle caught her eyes. _'That must be Gatomon's tail ring…'_ Yolei gleefully pondered.

Turning around, Yolei was glad that Ken and Kari caught up to her. "Guys, I might have found Gatomon's tail ring," she stated as she continued to look down the cliff.

"I see something down there," Kari looked down to see the same glimmer. "You can head down and check it out."

"No need to do that Yolei," Hawkmon told his partner, "I'll be right back." With that statement, Hawkmon flew down to the cliff and in a few seconds returned up to the cliff with something in his beak.

"Is this what you saw," Hawkmon spoke as he held a piece of a dark ring that was in his wing.

"I guess it was…" Yolei said, feeling disappointed that she didn't get the ring. "Sorry Gatomon."

"It's alright, you thought it was the real thing and that's all that matters…thank you." Gatomon politely stated with a reassuring smile.

Ken was glazing downward into the abyss of the canyon. His face was painted with a look of anguish and disgust. He couldn't find it in him to breathe properly as he was choking back gasps.

"Ken has that look on his face," Wormmon told himself before looking up at his partner, "Ken, are you OK?"

Ken once again was too into his thoughts to hear Wormmon's question. All he saw was the roar of waves splashing up against the cliffside. Once again, he succumbed to fear as he screamed for mercy.

"Ken!" Yolei turned to see Ken in utter pain and ran towards him. "C'mon Ken, snap out of it!" Yolei was shaking Ken like mad, hoping that this would help her friend out.

Ken came to his senses as his breathing was returning to normal. "My word, what's going on."

"You saw the Dark Ocean again, didn't you?" Kari asked as Ken responded with a simple head nod.

Yolei annoyingly let out a sigh as she screamed out. "Ooh, why can't I see this stupid ocean?"

Within the blink of an eye, the trio was transported from a world of a bland forest to a world with a bland ocean.

"This must be it," Yolei looked around to see them standing on the beachside while looking out at the ocean, which was colorless like the rest of the area.

"Oh my…Yolei, what did you do," Hawkmon asked Yolei in astonishment at what just occurred.

* * *

"Would you look at this?!" Arukenimon looked at her navigator that was implanted in the jeep to see the trio suddenly disappear without a trace.

"My, oh my," Mummymon commented, "Looks like half of the group left, meaning that the other half is vulnerable and we can easily attack them."

"Not so fast," Arukenimon stated, "I think that _**this**_ is even better than what we could have done to them…besides, I believe that our master has a little treat for them tomorrow."

Mummymon gasped as he remembered the plan that was discussed last night. "Excellent my dear; within the next few days, the digidestined will be no more."

"That's exactly my point; let them tire themselves out a bit, and then we hit them big." Arukenimon stated with a grin on her face as she continued to drive along the dirt road.

* * *

Kari was panicking, and it was clearly showing. Her breathing has increased, she was shaking, and her face had fear written all over it. With succumbing to her bearing, she fell to her knees.

"I want to go home; I can't deal with this anymore…" Kari moaned out in a whimper.

"Kari, please get up," Gatomon tried to shake her partner out of her despair.

Ken was going through the same feelings. "It's coming back Wormmon…I don't know what to do." Ken grabbed his head as he tried to erase the dreadful memories that started to plague his mind.

"You have to fight it Ken," Wormmon reassured his partner. "Please, do it for me."

Yolei glanced back and forth at her two friends, not knowing what to do.

"Yolei," Hawkmon spoke up, "What are you going to do?"

"I have no clue…how can I help them; it's all in their heads," Yolei retorted. When that statement came out of her mouth, Yolei understood what the others have been going through. _'It's all in their minds…and I'm guessing I'm the only person to snap them back into reality.'_ Without wasting any more time, seeing as they wanted to leave this forsaken place, Yolei raced over to Kari first.

"Kari, snap out of it!" Yolei grasped her hands onto Kari's shoulders and shook her just a bit. "You're stronger than this and you know it. I know you want to leave and be at home, but the only way to do so is to fight through this."

Kari looked up at Yolei and saw a side of her that she never would have expected to see. "Stop thinking that you are weak-minded because you aren't. You're one of the more strong-minded people that I have had the opportunity to know. You have your friends who have your back, as well as your family, and as well as Gatomon. Nobody is going to let you escape into the darkness."

Kari felt a sense of relief after hearing Yolei's talk. "Thank you Yolei" was the only words that escaped her mouth before seeing herself go all static.

"Yolei, I will get Kari taken care of, take care of Ken please," Gatomon stated and with that, the two were out of the Dark Ocean.

Turning to see Ken even in more pain and distress than Kari was, Yolei only had one solution to help Ken out. Heading over to him and kneeling down to see him face-to-face, she cocked her right hand back and delivered a slap to his face.

"Ooh Yolei…" Hawkmon had to cover his face in his wings to avoid seeing the contact.

"Ken…" Wormmon was speechless, as well as Ken. Grabbing his cheek, which was throbbing in pain, he turned his attention to the girl right in front of him.

"Ken, this has been eating me away for much too long, so I'm going to come out and say it…I like you." Yolei started off, not really knowing if _**this**_ was the right time to state the obvious.

However, she continued on. "Yes, I know that this isn't the right moment as you are fighting with darkness, but I just thought that you needed someone else to help you out. I was just hoping that I could be that someone who can talk to you and listen to you and help you out. You rarely have any support besides Wormmon and your parents, and _**that's**_ not even enough! Though you have the team, you don't have a true friend to talk with about what you've been through. I want to help you out through this because I believe that you shouldn't be going through this pain anymore!"

Yolei slowly inhaled and exhaled as she looked on at Ken, whose face looked appalled. He was trying to piece together what Yolei has just told him. _'She likes me…more than a friend…'_ Ken pondered on this thought for a bit. _'I'm not sure if I'm ready for that yet, but if what she says is true, then I guess it won't hurt to give it a try. Besides, I need someone to truly talk about my problems with.'_

Standing up with their hands still intertwined, Ken smiled and thanked Yolei for helping him out of his darkness as the rest of the group appeared all static like before disappearing.

* * *

"So the rest of the group was alright," Noriko asked Davis. After heading home from his day in the Digital World, ecstatic about finding the rest of the group safe and sound, Davis decided to head over to Noriko's place to have a little chit-chat before reviewing for his exams.

"Yeah," Davis stated, "Apparently, they were trapped in this dark realm that they couldn't get out of."

"_A dark realm…I wonder…'_ Noriko briefly thought before stating, "I might know a feeling of this dark realm."

Before Davis could ask, Noriko continued on, "You see, I've been having this strange feeling that someone has been spying on me the past few days…and I have a hunch, since I've been feeling some bad vibes that it might have to do with that dark realm."

"I'm not so sure Noriko," Davis stated, "Maybe it's time for me to introduce you to the rest of the group so that you can tell them about this scenario."

"Maybe they'll know more about this…" Noriko silently said before Davis stated, "Who knows, maybe you could be a piece of something that could come along."

Noriko gave a shy smile towards her new friend before having to dismiss him kindly for both of them to review for their respective exams tomorrow. When he left, and right as she was entering her bedroom, something caught her eye. Heading out onto the balcony, she spotted a man wearing what seemed like a purple trench coat staring straight at her. In sheer surprise and utter shock that she found her person, Noriko scurried on into her bedroom, scared to look out to see if that man was still there. _'I wonder what he wants with me…and more importantly, _**why** _he wants me…'  
_

* * *

**So there you guys have it! I apologize for the delay in this chapter, but I was busy with work outside of writing, as well as watching the 2012 Summer Olympics! Hey, I can't help it if I'm attracted more to the olympics than I am to writing =/ Anyway, be on the look out for my next update, which is where the plot will indeed start to heat up a bit! Again, please review so that I may know what to work on for the story! Until next time, IrishPanther is signing out!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello again, IP here to give you guys Chapter 8 of my story. Once again, I thank you all for reading/reviewing my fic; without you guys, I don't know where this would be. Alright, just to give you guys a heads up, this is kind of a filler for one half of the chapter, with the other half actually containing the plot. This is kind of where the plot picks up a lot. Once again, read, review, and enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

The radiant morning sun came over Odaiba like a golden reflection shining off of a mirror. The dim clouds that were blocking the sun gave the morning a gloomier impression, kind of how the children were feeling as they knew what today was. Not only was it the last day of the term, but it was also final exams for them. Dreading this day ever since they have heard about it, there was not much that the kids could do but to muster up the courage and head off to school, awaiting their long, hectic day.

TK, Kari, and Yolei were more than taken aback when they saw Davis outside of the classroom, sitting up against the wall and studying his flashcards that he made for his math exam. A disapproving grunt and a slam against the wall with his head showed that Davis was nervous about the exam as well as his results that he will receive after school.

"Umm…hello," TK nearly whispered over to his friend as he tried to start up a quick conversation so that Davis would relax a bit.

This technique failed as Davis continued to study his cards, not even looking up from them or acknowledging his friends' presence.

"Davis, I think you're going a little bit too overboard with the studying if I do say so myself," Yolei tried a crack at the plan that TK had, but she couldn't gain her friend's attention.

Breathing out a quick sigh, Kari walked over to Davis and, while bent down to reach his eye level, took the cards from Davis' hands, which definitely gained his attention quickly. "Hey, c'mon Kari, I need to know these equations!" He spontaneously stated.

Kari smiled a bit as her plan actually worked before stating, "Davis, it's good that you are taking the exams seriously, but you do need to calm down a bit. Besides, cramming isn't going to do you a whole lot of good."

Davis fiddled with his fingers before sighing. "I guess you're right," Davis retorted, "I'm just nervous about the exam, that's all."

"There's nothing that you need to worry about," TK reassured his friend, "You've studied hard and that's all that matters. How you do on the exam should ultimately tell you how much studying really paid off."

"Yeah," Yolei quickly joined in, "Besides, it's like you said yesterday, two of your exams will be easy and, giving math is your first exam today and followed by science, the rest of your day shouldn't be that bad."

Davis looked around at each of his friends, feeling encouraged by their comforting statements. "Thanks guys, it really means a lot to me," Davis finally stated. Seeing as it was only a few minutes until the warning bell sounded, Yolei left the trio to head off to her first exam while the three entered the classroom.

"I got an idea," Kari stated to her two best friends, "Since exams are today and most of us are going to be worn out by the end of them, why don't we take a day off from the Digital World."

"Sounds great and all, but I still think we should check up on it periodically…just to make sure Arukenimon and Mummymon aren't up to something," TK retorted.

"What do you think, Davis?" Kari asked him, but quickly blew out a sigh when she saw Davis still focusing on his flashcards. Looking up and noticing Kari's facial expression, which read annoyance at the time, Davis answered, "I think it's a great idea…besides, I'll need the break the most."

Getting a few chuckles from his friends, the trio sat in their original seats as the warning bell went off. A few minutes later, their teacher came in looking rather daunting with a stack of papers in his hands. As the first class bell went off and when the teacher was done giving out instructions, the exams were passed out.

Davis slowly breathed in and out as he nervously awaited his exam. _'Try to relax man, it's going to be alright…like the others have said, you've studied and now it's time to retain.'_ Looking down to see his exam being faced downward, Davis flipped it right side up and gave it a quizzical look. With a small shrug, he along with the rest of the class began their exam.

* * *

Over in the Tamachi district, where they also had final exams, Ken pretty much had it easy. Being a prodigy boy genius did have its perks every now and then, and he was satisfied when he handed in his math exam in only twenty minutes and decided to excuse himself from class so that he wouldn't be a distraction for the rest of the students.

Glancing around to see if anyone was near him as he reached the main stairwell, Ken undid his knapsack to allow Wormmon some breathing room.

"Oh, hi Ken," Wormmon excitedly stated in a low tone, hoping that nobody would hear him, "How did you exam go?"

Ken just gave a smile towards the caterpillar and said, "What do you think?"

"I'm going to go with great if that's alright," Wormmon stated.

"That's a good guess my sure friend," Ken retorted before sitting down on the lower steps. He pulled his knapsack closer so that he could barely let a whisper out, "Listen, I think we need a break from the Digital World today due to yesterday's commotion…is that alright with you?"

Wormmon gave a curtsey nod at his partner, eagerly fine with his plan. "Plus," Ken continued, "I think the others would agree with me on needing a break since they have exams as well."

"I think they will be fine with that," Wormmon stated.

A few seconds have passed before Wormmon decided to ask, "Ken, what did you think about yesterday with Yolei?"

Ken gave a little sigh before answering his partner, "I thought that what she said was a nice gesture, and if she does like me like that, then I guess we could give it a shot. Plus, I really need someone to talk to about these nightmares besides running to you all the time."

Noticing the displeasing look on his partner's face, Ken reassured himself quickly by stating, "Not that you don't help me out a lot because you actually do…it's just that I need more than one person to discuss things with."

"Well, if that's the case, then I say go for it." Wormmon said with some gusto.

Ken smiled at his partner and thanked him before he heard a bell go off, signaling the end of one class. Knowing that students would be filling the hallways up, he readied his knapsack with Wormmon put in his comfortable place before heading off for his next class. While walking, he was pondering what Yolei said to him while he was trapped in the Dark Ocean. Quickly shaking that thought off, he entered the classroom to his next exam that he was sure he would ace in less than twenty minutes.

* * *

Trudging along the near glossy sidewalk due to the light snowfall the night before, Noriko was pondering over how her tests were. Though she knew she passed all of them with ease, she did feel exhausted with the difficulty of each exam. Along with the thought of someone potentially stalking the girl didn't put her in a real good mood.

'_Just breathe, Noriko…you did great on those tests and now that school is out, you can hang with Davis some more. And Mom and Dad will be home for two whole weeks…'_ Noriko was trying her absolute best to keep her mind from worry about the strange man. All her thoughts were thrown out of her head however when, as she opened her front door to her apartment, she spotted her father, Takumi, sitting down on the couch in the living room flipping through the channels.

"Daddy," Noriko spoke up after taking off her mask, showing her beaming smile.

"Hey honey," Takumi looked over to see her daughter and got up, walked over and gave her a hug with a little peck on the cheek, "Please tell me that your finals were superb?"

"I'll find out in a little while Dad," Noriko stated. Where she attended school, emails were sent out from the teachers to the parents with their final marks.

"I'm glad to hear that…your mother won't be home until late tonight, but after that we'll be home for a few weeks." Takumi retorted to his daughter.

"I'm real happy for that, it's been quite some time," Noriko embraced her father with a hug, truly showing her gratitude that her father was home. She was glad that her parents would take off work for a while so that the three of them could have quality time between each other…something that Noriko thinks they don't do enough.

"So everything else has been alright," Takumi brought up after breaking free from the hug, "Nothing is bothering you at the moment, right?"

"Nope, nothing too much, everything has been great." Noriko bellowed out with a smile on her face. She knew that she was lying and she hated doing it, but she couldn't muster up the courage to tell her father about the strange man that has been lurking after her the past few days.

"I'm glad to hear that, sweetie." Takumi was beaming at his daughter, happy and at ease that she was alright.

Noriko slowly nodded to her father's statement, feeling even more guilty than she did just a few seconds ago. Without another word, she went off into her bedroom and laid down on her bed, pondering about what to do with the situation that she is currently facing right now…

* * *

TK, Kari, Yolei, and Davis were all waiting in the secretary's office after school, each awaiting the results of their exams. Each would receive one envelope with their exams graded, and not wanting to wait any longer to see the results, Davis started to go berserk.

"Oh my goodness, how much longer will this take?" Davis asked for what seemed to be the sixth time in the last five minutes.

"I have already stated this to you: I do not know," the secretary replied while sitting near the computer, being totally occupied by it, "Can you please wait like a good little boy?"

Davis wanted to call her out, only to have Yolei interrupt him, "Yes ma'am, he can wait with us." She responded while tossing a deadly glare in Davis's direction.

"C'mon Davis, I don't think the exams were that bad," Kari tried to reassure her friend.

Davis gave a puzzling look at Kari before sighing. _'Sure you didn't think they were that bad…you weren't busy cramming equations inside of your head at the last possible second.'_ Davis's little rant came to a halt as the secretary received four envelopes from her assistant. Getting up from her seat, she placed them on the counter and walked back over to the computer. Getting the hint that the secretary was tired of watching the children, they got their respective envelopes and headed out into the abandoned hallway.

"Alright…I guess I'll go first," Davis gloomily stated. As he tore open his envelope, many thoughts came through his mind. _'What if I bombed all of them…?' 'Will all of the studying be worth it…?' 'How will I tell my parents the news…?'_ All of the thoughts came to a screeching halt, however, as Davis pulled out his math exam and gawked in utter shock.

"Well, how did you do?" TK asked his friend, eager to know the result.

Davis quizzically looked over the paper, flipped the test open, looked at it again, flipped back to the first page, flipped over a few more pages, and finally stared in utter shock at the first page. "I received a 70," Davis finally uttered out.

"You got a C-…on a math exam…that you've studied for only a week for," Kari couldn't help but to be just as shocked as Davis was.

"Well…how did the rest of your exams go," Yolei asked.

Davis looked up at his friends before a smile formed slowly across his face. "It doesn't matter…I received a C- on an exam!"

"That's good for you and all, but you know you also took three more exams…don't you want to know how you did on those," TK couldn't help but to ask.

"I don't care TK; this is, like, the best I've ever done on an exam before." Davis proudly stated.

"Not to be a downer or anything, but that's kind of a bad thing…" Yolei decided to add in the little bit of information.

"So I slacked on a few tests here and there…what matters in the end is the final exam, and I passed!" Davis was still in utter shock and amazement.

"You still are going to find out how your grades faired out over the term in a few days though," Kari stated to her friend.

"Yeah, what's your point…this at least raises my final from a sure failure to a solid D-," Davis was _**still**_ not getting the point that his friends were trying to tell him.

"Davis," TK stated, "This is just one test…please, for the love, tell us how you did on your other exams."

Davis breathed out a sigh before pulling in to see his final three results. "All solid C's for my other exams…yes, I can't wait to tell my parents." Davis exclaimed as he started to break out into dance. "My parents are going to be so proud of me," He sang along with his weird dancing, slowly making his way towards the exit of the school.

"OK, so I guess I'll text you with the information for tomorrow's gathering then," Yolei asked rather loudly as Davis was already down the other end of the hall. Replying with a small nod, Davis bolted out the doors of the school and ran towards his complex, leaving the other three in utter disbelief, shock, and eventually in sheer laughter.

* * *

"I passed!" Davis exclaimed as he entered his apartment complex, only to find Jun sitting on the couch reading.

Jun looked up from her book and gave her brother a strange look. "Passed…what?"

"My exams, Jun. I got three C's and a C-. Mom and Dad are going to be so proud of me; I can't wait till they get home." Davis, still feeling amazed, ran over to Jun and engulfed her into a bear hug.

"I'm happy for you and all, but can you please let go of me," Jun steadily replied, being in utter disbelief of the way her younger brother was acting right now.

"Fine," Davis stated before letting Jun go, "I'll just go tell DemiVeemon; he's going to be so proud of me!" And with that, Davis fled to his bedroom to see the little In-Training digimon asleep on his bed.

"Demi, wake up, I got good news to tell you," Davis went over and shook his digimon awake.

"Ugh, what is it," DemiVeemon half-awake, half-asleep asked his partner.

"I passed my exams little buddy…I did it!" Davis, still in his satisfied and amazed state of being, engulfed the little digimon into a tight hug.

"Davis…can't…breathe…" DemiVeemon managed to squeak out as Davis kept on hugging to poor digimon.

"I can't help it little guy, I'm too ecstatic." Davis was now starting to bawl in sheer joy as he let DemiVeemon go. "I mean…a guy like me with no study habits, passing his exams…it's like a dream come true." Davis ended up bawling his eyes out for a few minutes, letting the moment truly sink in for him.

"Davis," DemiVeemon spoke up, "If it makes you feel any better, I knew you would have passed your exams with flying colors."

"Thanks again dude," Davis wiped the tears off of his face and slowly went back to his normal state of being. "I need to call Noriko tonight…I know she'll be excited about this."

DemiVeemon gave a smile at his partner's statement. "I'm sure she'll be proud of you." The little digimon stated before resuming to his nap. Davis, not wanting to disturb his digimon more than he already did, departed from his bedroom.

* * *

"So Davis passed all of his exams?" Cody felt stumped when he heard Yolei talking about his results as the duo walked home to their complex.

"Yeah, he was really stoked about the results," Yolei commented on how he saw the teenager act when he found out about his decent marks.

"Kind of funny if you think about it," Cody added in, "Who would have thought that Davis would take his exams seriously?"

"Well, you have to consider the fact that his family knows about the Digital World, so it was just added pressure for him to succeed…otherwise, he would have been screwed," Yolei explained to the young boy.

Cody silently nodded his head in agreement to Yolei's statement. The duo continued to walk in silence before Cody asked, "So why are we walking home now instead of heading to the Digital World?"

"We all decided to take a break today since the exams were real grueling," Yolei responded as she rubbed her eyes from under her glasses with her fingers, showing some signs of fatigue. "I'm pretty sure I'll find out by tonight from Ken or someone what we'll do tomorrow."

"You'll keep me informed on what's going on tomorrow, right?" Cody asked the teenager.

"Oh, why wouldn't I,' Yolei stated while playfully shoving the youngster, getting a chuckle out from both of them. After a long week of sure hell from the studying and defending the Digital World, it was good to have a little bit of breathing room, even if it was just the afternoon off.

"I wonder how the rest of the group did with their tests," Cody asked aloud.

"We all passed with ease…nothing like knowing all that studying paying off in the long run." Yolei commented as the two reached their apartment complex. Once on the elevator, the two said their good-byes as they went to their respective homes.

* * *

"C'mon guys, I know you are pulling my legs," Ken commented to both TK and Kari after hearing what Davis accomplished over the course of the school day. The trio decided to meet up in the food court of the mall to discuss the day that just happened.

"No, we're being serious," TK tried his best to reassure Ken, "Davis passed all of his exams with decent marks."

"I mean, it wasn't really that much of a surprise if you think about it for a bit," Kari stated, "He achieved some mediocre grades…now if it was anything like Ken achieved, _**then**_ I would have been mortified."

Ken couldn't help but to chuckle at that statement, "What can I say, being a genius has its perks, and being ranked first in your class with the exam results was just a piece of cake for me."

The two companions eagerly nodded as they decided to switch topics. "So, how and when are we going to meet up in the Digital World tomorrow," Kari asked.

"I'll meet you guys there whenever you need me to," Ken stated, "My computer will be an easy access to head into the Digital World."

"Well that's a good thing…now how do _**we**_ get there." TK spoke up in reference to himself, Kari, and the rest of the group. "Remember, we can't have access into the school anymore since it's shutting down for break."

"You're right," Kari stated and started to ponder on the possibilities. An idea suddenly crossed her mind. "How about asking Izzy? He for sure is the only person that has a Digital gate on his computer."

"Not a bad idea," TK stated, "I can ask him right now," And with that, he pulled out his D-Terminal and sent Izzy a quick message, asking him about the possibility of using his computer as transportation to the Digital World. Within a few minutes, TK got a reply from Izzy, stating that it was alright for the gang to use his computer as access to the Digital World.

"Alright, with that out of the way, I say we get there a bit early tomorrow," Ken stated, "Just to check out and see if Arukenimon and Mummymon caused any damage on our day off."

Suddenly, a beep came from Ken's D-Terminal. Flipping it open, he read the message and sighed, "Yolei wants to know what's going on tomorrow; should I tell her?"

"Well, yeah," TK retorted, "I mean, why wouldn't you?"

"TK," Kari stated, "Yolei confessed her love for Ken yesterday while consoling him in the Dark Ocean yesterday. I think he's just a bit nervous." Looking up to see Ken with a questioning expression on his face, Kari knew that it was the wrong time to bring this up.

"Yeah…anyway, I'll just reply to her," Ken awkwardly stated as he texted Yolei with the information.

"Why are you acting so nervous?" TK asked Ken, "Sure Yolei might be loud and annoying at times, but from what I've seen, she is an amazing girl, and you shouldn't be worried in the least bit."

"Thanks for that TK…I need to get going now; see you guys tomorrow." And with that statement, Ken stood up from the table and left the duo alone.

"That was good advice to give him, right," TK asked Kari.

"Well yeah, it was good, but I don't think he wanted it now," Kari retorted. "We have a lot on our plates right now and I don't think a relationship should be in the mixture at the moment."

TK ultimately sighed at Kari's statement, knowing that she was right on this topic. Deciding to call it a day, the duo left the mall and headed to their respective homes.

* * *

"Ahh, I knew you could do it!" Noriko was ecstatic after she heard how Davis did on his exams.

"Well thank you," Davis replied. After dinner – which involved Davis, yet again, showing off his exam results to his parents – he decided to call Noriko and tell her the news.

"I mean it, Davis, you are amazing…the way you push yourself through these past few days to study and ending up with a result like that goes to show that hard work pays off in the end," Noriko couldn't help herself as she rambled off what seemed like a mini-speech to her new friend.

"You are only the second person to tell me that today right behind my parents…thanks again," Davis replied.

The phone was silent for a few seconds before Davis asked, "So how are you feeling with that strange man?"

"I honestly have no idea what he wants from me," Noriko retorted, "It just feels strange…I mean, I have someone literally stalking me. It just doesn't feel right."

Davis felt torn with how Noriko felt about the situation that she was currently in. He wanted to help her out so much, but he knew that there was nothing much he could do. He wished that he could tell the others about Noriko – and maybe they would have something to say about the situation at hand – but Davis felt like it was not the right time for introductions with the whole dealing with Arukenimon fiasco happening in the Digital World.

"I feel horrible that I can't help you out right now," Davis finally muttered out.

"Davis, it's alright," Noriko replied, "I don't think this is anything too serious right now. I'll let you know if anything else comes up though."

"That sounds fine with me." Davis replied, and with that, the two said their good-byes.

Noriko hung up the phone out in the living room where her parents were enjoying the night watching television. She smiled when she saw her parents, arms around each other, enjoying each other's company.

"Hey guys, mind if I head out for a quick walk just to clear my head a bit?" Noriko asked.

"Sure thing honey," Isamu replied to her daughter.

"Don't be out too late now, OK?" Takumi firmly stated.

"I won't, thanks again guys," And with that, Noriko trekked outside into the nighttime air.

* * *

Walking out into the chilly air that surrounded Odaiba, Noriko surely felt chills running down her spine. She didn't want to let her guard down and make sure that that strange person caught up to her. Rounding a corner, she was taken by surprise when she ran right into him.

"Why hello there," the man slyly stated, "Have I seen you around before?"

"Yeah…and not at the right time," Noriko replied coldly, not wanting anything to do with this man.

"Don't you worry about when I show up…all you need to worry about is following my command," the man stated.

"Just who are you exactly, and why do you want me," Noriko crossly asked.

"Perfect questions…to start off, I go by the name of Yukio Oikawa," the man now identified as Oikawa explained, "And to continue, I want a favor out of you."

"Favor…well, whatever it is, I'm not helping you out one bit." With this statement, Noriko turned around and walked away, only to be forcefully grabbed onto by Oikawa's hand on her shoulder and spun around furiously.

"It's not a simple question…it's a demand." Oikawa explained, looking into Norkio's fear-filled eyes, "You apparently know something about the so-called Digital World, correct?"

Noriko was steadily breathing and could only reply with a simple head nod. "Good, just the answer I was looking for…now then, do you know an access point to get into that place?"

Noriko shook her head, this time in a no direction. Oikawa's grip on Noriko's shoulder only gripped tighter as Noriko shot out a gasp. "I know you're lying to me Noriko."

"I'm…I'm not, sir," Noriko mustered the courage to whisper out, scared for her life. "I have no idea where you can enter the Digital World."

"You know someone with access to the Digital World though…Davis, the leader of the second digidestined, am I right?" Oikawa asked, to which Noriko replied with another yes head nod.

"Well then," Oikawa stated, "You will take me to him and to the Digital World…whether you like to or not."

With that, Noriko felt a strange aura wrap around her body. She noticed Oikawa's eyes, having no expression in then whatsoever. His grip on her shoulder remained intact and stronger than ever. Noriko found it best to close her eyes and just wishing for this strange feeling to go away. Suddenly, she felt engulfed. Noriko felt a power over her that she has never felt before. It was almost as if someone was taking over her body. Dropping to her knees and grabbing her head, Noriko screamed out for the pain to subside.

Oikawa still kept his glaze on the poor girl intact. His hand still remained where he was gripping Noriko before she fell. A sly smile made its way onto Oikawa's face, and not much longer after that, a slow devious chuckle escaped his lips.

Noriko felt the pain finally subsiding, but still had this feeling inside of her. She opened her eyes and stood up to look at Oikawa…all with the fact that she wasn't really doing the actions. _'What in the world is going on…who is controlling me…?'_ Noriko's thought bubble burst when Oikawa spoke up.

"Now then, with that out of the way, you will head over to Davis's place tomorrow and ask for permission to enter the Digital World. Once there, you will be released from your duty. The sooner you get this done, the faster your body will be given back to you. Do you understand the simple task that is at hand?"

"I do," Noriko found herself speaking these words without actually thinking of them.

"Excellent; now retrieve home and speak of this moment to nobody…when the time comes tomorrow, you will know by me." With that statement, Oikawa left the girl shocked and speechless.

"_**Hello there Noriko," **_a new voice came into her head, _**"We are going to have so much fun now, aren't we?"**_

"Who is this, why are you inside of me?" Noriko asked aloud.

"_**Silly girl, I'm the force that has been controlling that man for ages. He's been at my every whim as I try to get back at the digidestined for what they've done to me years ago."**_

"Wait…you're a digimon?" Noriko ended up asking in a curious tone.

"_**Indeed I am…and if you don't follow my orders, I will make your life a living hell. All of this is quite simple my dear: I want to head back and reclaim what was rightfully mine, which is the Digital World."**_

Noriko shuddered as she heard the voice talking inside of her. She had no idea on what to do since she couldn't tell anyone about this. Without another word coming out from her mouth or from the stranger inside of her, she made her way back home, hoping that by tomorrow, everything would be back to normal…

* * *

**Well, there you guys have it. I guarantee you that many of y'all know that mysterious being inside of Noriko ;) If anyone is confused by why I am doing this (the whole enslaving Noriko) or if anyone has any questions about the fic and the future of this fic, drop me a reply or a PM and I can talk to you guys that way. Once again, please review and let me know what I can do to improve this story! Until next time, IrishPanther is signing off!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello again, Irish back to bring you Chapter 9 of this story! Once again, and as always, I thank you all for reading and reviewing my story! This part may seem strange to you guys, and if it is, then I apologize for that. I wanted to write this out to keep the plot moving...which is what this chapter does greatly! So without further ado, read, review, and enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Oikawa smirked as he continued to walk along the sidewalk in the depth of night, satisfied on the plan that he has just hatched as he lurked Noriko onto his side. He felt immensely invincible until a voice stopped him in his tracks.

"_**Do you honestly think you deserve all of the credit…remember, only a fourth of me went into her, the other ¾ is still intact."**_

Oikawa shuddered as he heard the voice still inside of him. "I thought I would get rid of you once and for all?"

"_**Why would I leave,"**_ the voice continued on, _**"Besides, you wanted to visit the Digital World at least one time in your life, right?"**_

Oikawa sighed at this statement. It was true; ever since he was a kid, he only had one true friend that shared the same interest with him. The interest of exploring with him the possible discovery of another world that inhabited strange creatures always fascinated him, and he always thought that he would be whisked away to that strange dimension. He made a promise years ago if he wanted to head there, and he certainly wasn't going to break it now.

"I guess you're right," Oikawa replied, "The only way I can head into the Digital World is through that poor fragile girl."

"_**The perfect reason why I chose her…vulnerable, weak, and with an ally who has access to that dimension; it will be easy for us to head to that place and for me to take my revenge."**_

Oikawa muttered in agreement as he turned a corner and walked into a back alley, where he spotted Arukenimon and Mummymon patiently waiting.

"So, tell us, how did the plan work out?" Arukenimon asked abruptly.

"It was a success," Oikawa stated with a sinister smile, "I have ultimate control of the girl at my whim and with her, I'll be able to head into the Digital World and finish off those fools once and for all!"

"Excellent job, master," Mummymon spoke up, "What do you want us to do to aid you in this?"

Oikawa thought for a few seconds before replying, "Simple…I want you guys to distract the group and fight with them for a while, and let me handle the rest."

"Sounds too easy of a job for us," Arukenimon brought up, but was told off by Oikawa.

"Of course it's an easy job for you two, I'm doing all the real work here…and let's not forget who was killed three years back because of eight lucky children."

Arukenimon and Mummymon knew that their master was the one who were speaking to them instead of Oikawa and, frightened at his tone and the fact that they didn't want to make him any angrier, the two agreed to their jobs and fled from Oikawa.

"You just had to bring that up, didn't you?" Oikawa rudely asked.

"_**You heard them…too easy of a job my rear end," **_the voice inside Oikawa stated. _**"It's just something to keep them distracted while I do all the real work…understand?"**_

Not wanting to get into a debate with the being inside of him, Oikawa uttered an agreement and decided to walk home, completely aware of the dark surroundings not only on the outside but on the inside as well…

* * *

Noriko picked up her pace just a bit, walking very briskly to reach her apartment. She hasn't even taken two seconds to try to depict what in the world just happened to her. All she was focus about was getting home and getting some sleep, for it seemed like the best solution to end what was starting to become a dreadful nightmare.

As she made her way up the stairs of her complex and towards her front door, she started to feel chills running through her body. Her breathing became short and rapid, almost to the point of her hyperventilating. She closed her eyes and had her hands squeezing her head as she felt a massive migraine coming on. She wanted to stay as silent as possible so that she didn't worry not only her parents but the other occupants as well.

Noriko opened one eyelid and, startled that she was in front of her door, grip the doorknob tightly around her right hand. Suddenly, in a blink of an eye, the symptoms all went away. She breathed a sigh of relief, glad that the symptoms were gone but then questioned why they randomly occurred. Pushing those thoughts in the back of her mind for a later time, she opened her door to see her father sitting at the kitchen table.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, Takumi gave a smile as he stated, "Well, you weren't gone that long now, were you?"

Easily stumped by her father's question, Noriko took a peep at the clock and was startled to see that only fifteen minutes passed between her leave and her arrival back.

"Oh, well it was just getting a bit cold, that was all," Noriko stated, not wanting to go any further with what just happened to her. Suddenly, she felt the chills returning to her body and started to wrap her arms around her body.

Takumi quizzically looked at Noriko before asking, "Honey, are you cold?" With a nodded yes from his daughter, he gave a small chuckle as he stated, "Well, I guess you were right then…it _**was**_ a little bit chilly outside."

Noriko gave her father a warm smile, though the chills were still intact. She felt the migraine coming back slowly but surely and, not wanting to tell her father about tonight's mishap, she went over and hugged her father while stating, "Yeah, just a bit cold, that's all. Look, I'd love to stay and chat, but I'm exhausted from today. I'm going to bed now, OK?"

Takumi kissed his daughter on the forehead and gave his daughter permission to turn in early for the night. With that, and without any hesitation, Noriko made a dash towards her bedroom and flung the door closed before lying down on her bed.

"_**How'd you like my little performance back there?" **_Noriko bolted out of her bed and had to contain a scream from slipping out of her before she responded in a quiet but fierce manner to the entrapped digimon spirit.

"What was all that about?! I thought your plan was to get me over to Davis' place and head into the Digital World or you'd make my life a living hell?" Noriko felt enraged at the digimon inside of her for breaking his promise.

"_**Yeah…which part don't you get; oh wait, I lied…I'm making your life miserable the very second that I entered your body!"**_ The digimon howled with laughter inside of her as Noriko felt the symptoms coming back to her. The short breathing, the migraine, the chills…they all came back stronger than ever. Noriko had no other choice but to let out a short, blood-thrilling scream as she dropped to the floor on her knees while holding her head in pain.

"_**Perfect…you see, I have complete control over you. There is nothing you can do to stop me; only when I enter the Digital World as a whole being shall you be freed from my enslavement."**_ The entrapped digimon spoke once more.

Feeling a little exultant that her scream didn't startle her parents enough to come in and check up on her, that feeling didn't come close to blocking out the sheer hatred that she had on the digimon. Deciding not to play around anymore for the remainder of the night, she prepared herself for what she hoped would be a peaceful sleep.

* * *

Waking up from a pleasant night of sleeping, Kari was a bit surprised to not see Gatomon lying in bed, snoozing the day away. Wanting to know where the feline was up to, she got up from the lower bunk and went out into the living room, where she spotted Gatomon looking out at the daytime sky on the balcony.

"Hey," Kari stated after she opened up the sliding door leading out to her partner, "You're up early."

"Yeah," Gatomon stated, looking distraught, "Just have something on my mind right now."

Kari slid the door closed behind her and sat on the wooded floored balcony next to her partner. "Anything you want to talk about?" Kari asked.

Gatomon continued to look straight ahead at the sky with an uneasy look on her face. After a few seconds of silence, she stated, "I think he's back."

"Wait a minute…what do you mean _**he's**_ back?" Kari acted, a bit startled at her partner's statement.

Gatomon sighed before stating the one word that she was longing to never have to utter for as long as she lived, "Myotismon."

Before Kari could interject with Gatomon's statement, the white feline continued on, "I have this feeling that he's out there…somewhere. I heard his voice inside of my dreams last night, and it got me thinking of him. I don't know why, but I have a hunch that Myotismon is out on the prowl again in search of us and to have his revenge."

After taking in Gatomon's explanation for a few seconds, Kari – still in utter shock of her partner's statement – said, "How are you so sure about this? I thought we killed him four years ago…"

"I thought so to, but apparently he's still lurking around," Gatomon replied, "I think this needs to be discussed today while in the Digital World."

"I couldn't agree with you more on that statement," Kari retorted. "Are you going to come in soon; we need to head over to Izzy's in a while."

"I'll be in eventually…just give me some more time to think please," Gatomon stated, to which Kari obliged to as she left Gatomon on the porch to ponder a bit more.

'_I don't care where you are or what I have to do…I'll see it that you are destroyed once and for all,'_ Gatomon harshly pondered, vividly remembering the suffering that his old master had performed on her back when she was in his army. With her mind lingering to this thought, Gatomon retreated back indoors to get ready for the day ahead.

* * *

Davis was frantically running around his house, making sure that he was properly ready when he had to leave for Izzy's in just a few minutes…unless he intended on being late, which was not his intention in the first place. _'Cursed that damn alarm clock, that thing never works,'_ Davis bitterly thought up, blaming his now state of being on his unreliable alarm clock.

DemiVeemon was eagerly watching Davis running amuck all over the place from atop the kitchen counter. Scratching the back of one of his ears, he decided to ask Davis a question at the wrong time, "So how much longer will you be?"

Davis gave a cold glare over at the In-Training digimon from his place outside of his bedroom door. "You don't know how easy you have it…not worrying how you appear for the day, nope not at all." Coming out of his bedroom door and donning with him his digivice and D-Terminal, he scooped up DemiVeemon from the counter and headed out the door.

He was already running a tad bit late and he needed to book it in order to get to Izzy's on time, so imagine his surprise when he saw Noriko standing outside of his door with her right hand in a fist and raised upward, showing her intent on knocking on the front door.

"Oh hey Noriko," Davis stated recklessly, "I'm running late for something but I'll catch up with you tonight OK…" Davis started to make his run out of his house and down the main corridor, until he felt a tight grip on his hand. Turning around, he saw Noriko being the one gripping his arm.

"I need to ask you an important question, Davis," Noriko stated, her eyes – thankfully going unrecognized by Davis – flaring up in an energetic manner.

Davis sighed, knowing that he couldn't do anything with Noriko gripping at his arm. "Alright, fine, what is it?"

Noriko let her grip go on Davis before asking, "I need you to take me to the Digital World…now."

Davis was taken aback by his friend's question. "Why now…can't it wait just a bit longer; look, I know you're eager to head there with me and meet my friends and all but now isn't the best time to do so."

Noriko still kept her cold glare at Davis going while stating, "I don't think you heard me Davis…I _**need**_ you to take me to the Digital World _**now**_!"

Upon this statement's completion, Noriko lurched forward at Davis, successfully tackling him to the ground and pinning his shoulders back, all while that stare was kept intact.

Davis was now bewildered at how his friend is acting towards him. "Noriko, what's you deal? Why are you doing this?"

DemiVeemon, looking on from a few inches away of Davis and Noriko, stated, "What's your problem, Noriko? Did something happen to you?"

Looking up to see the small critter standing there, his big red eyes with a look of concern in them, Noriko started to freak out for just a few seconds. She felt the symptoms returning to her and furiously shook her head to rid of all the pain to quickly subside. In a matter of seconds, they were gone and she was snapped back into reality when she realized she was on top of Davis.

Wanting to quickly explain what was going on with her, Noriko got off of Davis and, after helping him up to his feet, started to explain what occurred to her last night with Oikawa luring her into helping him out and a digimon spirit currently possessing her (which led to her explaining her weird behavior).

Davis sighed after hearing Noriko's explanation and said, "I'm sorry for all of this happening…I knew I should have helped you out more."

"Davis, there was nothing that you could of done then…but there is something that you can do now that will help me out a ton." Noriko stated while looking innocently at Davis.

"I know what you want me to do," Davis stated, "But I can't do it Noriko. This all just feels weird in a sense…I mean, a digimon possessing you and wanting to head into the Digital World can mean that it's another threat for us to deal with."

"Please Davis," Noriko started to beg, "I need you now more than ever. I can't take much more of this digimon being trapped inside of me until I obey his command."

Davis looked down at DemiVeemon with a look of concern on his face. Sighing, he looked at Noriko and stated, "I'm staying with you today…I think that's a start to help you out, so whenever you freak out, I'll be there to help control it for you."

Noriko gave a small smile in Davis' direction and stated, "It's a start I guess."

Whipping out his D-Terminal, Davis quickly jolted down a message to Izzy quickly explaining his absence from the team today. With that done, he, Noriko and DemiVeemon decided to clear their heads of the situation that just occurred, as they all were on their toes awaiting another attack from the enslaved digimon.

* * *

"So you're telling me that Davis isn't going to make it today," Kari asked as she, along with the rest of the group, heard Izzy tell Davis' message.

"Apparently he needs to help a friend out," Izzy stated while looking at the message thoroughly over.

"Well whoever his friend is, we can all help him or her out," Yolei retorted, a little bit ticked that Davis misses another team get together for his own personal interests.

"Maybe that's true Yolei," Cody stated, "But maybe it's something that Davis wishes to not tell us at the moment."

"He's probably waiting for a good time to explain the situation more clearly," TK reassured Yolei, "Maybe his friend doesn't want to introduce himself or herself just yet."

"That's probably true," Kari stated, "But I don't think it's a good enough reason to bail on your team at the last minute."

"Whatever the case may be," Izzy responded to the group, "Davis is absent for today, so you guys need to step it up a bit and look for any disturbances, especially ones from Arukenimon and Mummymon."

"I can guarantee you that they have something up their sleeve," Cody reassured the group, "I don't think they are done messing around with us just yet."

"It doesn't matter what situation they throw at us, we'll just end up fighting them again," TK retorted to the previous statement made.

"Maybe there's a way that we can destroy those goons before things get too out of hand for us to handle," Yolei stated.

"…You know something," Kari stated to the rest, "I think we need the whole team here if you catch my drift."

Izzy had a curious expression on his face from Kari's statement before giving a smile and a head nod before stating, "I agree with you on that one Kari. Starting tomorrow, I'll condemn a meeting for the older kids to catch them up on what's been happening and see if they can help you guys out."

"Thanks for the reassurance Izzy," TK stated before the group stood up, eagerly awaiting the trip to the Digital World in order to see if danger is afoot.

* * *

"Darn it, c'mon!" Ken cursed aloud as he, along with Wormmon, were trying to open the Digital gate up through his computer back at his house in Tamachi. Unfortunately, his computer was not acting accordingly to what needed to happen, and at this, Ken began to flip.

"This is not good Wormmon," Ken stated, "I need to be with the team right now…I told Kari and TK that I would have easy access to the Digital World."

"Maybe that's true," Wormmon retorted, "But it seems like you aren't having the best of luck right now."

Ken sighed as he held his D-Terminal down from its original position before stating, "I guess you're right…so what do we do now?"

Wormmon thought for a moment before answering to Ken, "Why don't you contact the rest and say that you can't make it due to some malfunctions? I think that they will understand the situation that you are currently in."

"I hope you are right Wormmon," Ken stated before he pulled out his D-Terminal and typed up a message to the team, describing to them the reason that he needed to miss out on the Digital World. "It just feels like I betray them in a way whenever I don't show up."

"Nonsense Ken," Wormmon reassured his partner, "I don't think for one bit that they think that you would betray them. You have turned yourself around and everyone appreciates you on the team, so there is nothing to worry about."

Looking over at his partner, Ken gave a reassuring smile before stating, "You're right Wormmon. I don't have anything to worry about." Seeing as he was free for the day, and that he wanted to get away from his computer for as long as he can, Ken suggested, "Why don't we go for a nice long walk? You know, just to clear out heads for a bit."

"I think that's a wonderful idea Ken," Wormmon wholeheartedly agreeing with the plan. Ken gave a small nod before readying his knapsack with assorted snacks – seeing as it could be a long walk – and with Wormmon being secured in there, Ken left his apartment building and walked alongside the sidewalk leading towards Odaiba.

* * *

"Just got a message from Ken," Cody read aloud as the group was walking along a dirt pathway, "Apparently, he's having issues with his computer so he can't make it here as well."

"Well that sounds appealing doesn't it," Armadillomon stated as he trotted alongside his partner, "Seems like everyone's taking a day off."

"Well, not everyone," TK informed the armadillo like digimon, "We're still here, looking for trouble."

"That's right," Patamon piped up as he flew near TK, "Davis and Ken can have a nice relaxing day off and we can look for anything big happening."

"Well, by the look of things," Yolei stated, "Nothing here seems destroyed…better yet, nothing here seems touched."

"I think you are right," Hawkmon retorted, flying next to Yolei, "I don't see anything permanently damaged; it seems like Arukenimon forgot about this section."

"Well, it's just one little section…who knows what she could be hiding from us." Kari stated to the rest.

"I might have a clue…" Gatomon whispered, barely audible for anyone to hear except for Kari, who was right next to her.

Kari shot Gatomon a look of concern, knowing that her partner was referring to the talk that they had this morning.

The group continued to march on in silence, hoping that they ran into Arukenimon and Mummymon just to give them a piece of their minds. Fortunately for them, they spotted them driving their direction in their jeep.

"Look who we have here," Arukenimon stated from her passenger side of the vehicle, "Four little creeps looking for some fun."

"I see them as well, let's for sure have some fun with them," Mummymon replied as the jeep came to a screeching halt right in front of them.

"Look who decided to show up," Yolei blurted out, not pleased to see the two enemies.

"Please, is that the best you got," Arukenimon was certainly not pleased at the teenager's attempt at an insult.

"Nope," TK stated, "But instead of our words, why don't we let our digimon do the talking!"

"Oh, we'll be fine with that," Mummymon stated before he and Arukenimon began their transformation.

"Alright guys," Cody exclaimed to the rest, "Let's show them whose boss!"

"You said it best," Kari stated as the digimon started to digivolve respectively.

With the likes of Ankylomon, Aquilamon, Nefertimon, and Pegasusmon ready for battle, the digidestined proved to be in great numbers against the two opponents. But just like last time, this battle would be anything but an easy victory for them…

* * *

Davis and Noriko continued their walk along the streets of Odaiba. While walking, Davis couldn't help but to steal a few looks at Noriko every now and then to see her eyes changing from innocent to flaring up.

"Are you alright," Davis decided to ask Noriko.

"What do you mean by that," Noriko replied back.

"I mean, I'm seeing your eyes change emotions…and I'm just wondering if it had to do with the digimon inside of you."

"Tell me what you think," Noriko stated with a deadpan expression on her face.

Davis let out a sigh before continuing, "Look, I'm terribly sorry Noriko, but again, I can't allow you to enter the Digital World if that digimon is looking for trouble over there."

"Who says he is looking for trouble," a voice from behind the two beckoned them to turn around to see Oikawa standing there, "What if he's just looking for a way in."

"Wait, what are you saying," Davis was confused at the man who randomly appeared.

"Davis, allow me to explain," Noriko started off, "This man is named Oikawa, and he's the reason that I'm acting the way I've been acting. He's the one that set the digimon inside of me."

"Not all of him, may I remind you…only a fourth of him," Oikawa stated to Noriko.

"Why would you do that to her," Davis asked harshly, "Don't you see the pain you have put her in?"

"I do see it, but it's for a purpose," Oikawa started off, "I always wanted to venture into the Digital World ever since I was a mere child. My one true friend and I would always discuss the matter at hand, seeing how we could eventually get our way there. It was like that for a long time…until he was taken away from me. From that moment on, I've tried my best to live up to me and my friends' words in heading over to that strange dimension. It was only four years ago that I abided with an unusual plan to help me get there…and pretty soon, my plan will become complete."

"Well not if I have something to say about it," Davis retorted back at Oikawa, not wanting to let Noriko down.

"Davis, stop," Noriko stated, "I do not mind this…besides, I want to venture to the Digital World now instead of waiting around."

"Noriko, didn't you hear me a while back, I'm not ready yet," Davis pleaded to his friend, hoping that she would eagerly be patient.

"Well Davis, that's just too bad because I am!" Noriko bellowed out and with that statement, Davis felt a strange aura coming out of Noriko's body. Her body was radiant with a faint purple black color coming out of her and the look of emptiness from Noriko's eyes was not a good sign for Davis.

Without any hesitation, he contacted the first person that would have a solution in knowing what to do. It wasn't a coincidence when Davis turned around to see Ken standing right behind him.

"Help," was the only word that came to Davis' mind.

Ken looked straight ahead to see a girl slowly losing her energy as one man simply looked on with a pleasing smile painted on his face.

'_As if I haven't been through this scenario many times before…'_ Ken pondered along before slowly trotting towards Noriko and Oikawa.

"I can see that you have a problem," Ken stated towards Noriko, "Listen from experience; this is not a good thing to have."

"What do you mean 'not a good thing to have,'" Noriko quizzically responded.

"Darkness inside of you…whether it's in a form of a digimon or in a form of your own despair; darkness will continue to drag you down unless you stand up for yourself. This man chose you because you appear as a weakling to him. I may have just met you but I can tell that somewhere inside your controlled body is a girl who is as strong as ever."

Davis couldn't believe the sudden transformation that started to take place within Noriko. Her eyes started to become more alive and her appearance became more vivid. "Do you honestly believe that," Noriko asked.

"I do…in order for you to win this fight, you need to believe in yourself, you need to believe that you have the strength to fight whatever is inside of you out." Ken exclaimed.

Davis would have never guessed that it would be Ken who would be taking the reins and helping Noriko out of her situation. _'I still have a lot to learn about Ken…apparently he has changed from the Emperor to a kind-hearted kid.'_

Just as all thought everything was going well, the symptoms inside of Noriko started to flare up again, only this time the pain was as powerful as ever. Noriko screamed out in pain, wishing for all of this to subside, or better yet to be over with once and for all.

"Davis, please do something," Ken pleaded over to Davis.

"Well what do you want me to do…do you think I have some kind of a plan or something," Davis retorted.

"Think Davis…think back to when you heard of the digidestined before us. There must have been _**something**_ that could have pulled darkness out of someone." Ken stated.

Davis couldn't stand being on the sidelines while watching Ken risk his life to help Noriko. Fumbling around in his pocket, he pulled out his digivice and looked up at Noriko. Suddenly, a memory came to Davis' mind. It was when they were all there for the anniversary and the older kids were telling stories…one of them dealt with a battle right before their first nemesis and how they defeated him.

'_Well, I guess it's better than nothing…'_ Davis pondered as he slowly made his way towards Noriko, gripping his digivice in his hands.

"So, you got a plan or what," Ken abruptly asked.

Deciding to give Ken a sure enough answer, Davis lifted his digivice towards Noriko, which gave off a fluorescent white light in Noriko's direction. Noriko continued to scream out in pain as the digimon that was entrapped inside of her began to filter its way out of Noriko's body.

"Wow…mind if I give it a shot," Ken decided to ask Davis before realizing that Davis would not answer him, seeing as he was focused in driving the digimon out of Noriko. Without any hesitation, Ken lifted his digivice towards Noriko and the same effect took place. Within a few seconds of the power generating from the digivices, the evil that was corrupting Noriko was out and hovered over the two boys.

"_**You think you are done with me…I can still sense it, the Digital gate opening up; I have time to head there. I thank you guys for ridding me from her body; it might have been the stupidest mistake you have ever made…"**_ The digimon gave a crackle of laughter before turning its attention towards Oikawa.

"_**And as for **_**you**_**, you think that you deserve to head to the Digital World now after the plan you came up with failed miserably…I don't think so. In fact, I find my time with you officially over."**_

With that statement, the strange aura went right inside Oikawa and went through the same transfusion that he was doing inside of Noriko. With blood-hurling scream after blood-hurling scream, Oikawa felt a weight pulling right from out of him. The creature will finally be released from him, but not for a good reason. In a matter of minutes, the dark aura that was once inside of Oikawa was expelled out and quickly traveled towards the source of the Digital gate.

Ken and Davis stood in a gawking manner, trying to piece together what just occurred. It would have to wait, however, as both Noriko and Oikawa – after dealing with the pain and suffering – collapsed and fell hard to the ground.

* * *

"Guys, we need to retreat," TK stated as the current group was getting beat pretty bad by Arukenimon and Mummymon.

"I agree with you," Yolei retorted, as did the rest of the group. With that said, they hurried to make their way back to the television.

Back in Odaiba, Izzy was opening up the Digital gate, awaiting the arrival of the group. He saw the group in the distance running towards the screen and a white light started to engulf the screen.

Within that small moment, however, the black aura snuck its way into Izzy's bedroom. Time seemed to stand still for a moment as Izzy turned to feel a tense change in the atmosphere occurring. He saw the mystical black data particles making its way towards the computer…and ultimately, into the Digital World.

Outside of the gate, the group was rushing towards the television, digivices in hand in order to get back. Just as they were about to depart, a sudden change in the atmosphere occurred for them, as within a short amount of time, the black particles descended upon the Digital World as it made its made out of the Digital gate and went off into the distance.

"What in the world was that," Cody asked the rest.

Nobody had a particular answer to that question, except for one. Kari looked down to see Gatomon, her eyes showing daggers with her claws out. _'I can't believe it….she's right, he's back,'_ Kari made a mental note to discuss this matter tomorrow with the others as they all teleported back home.

Within the distance, Arukenimon and Mummymon were starting to file into the jeep before they saw the data particles land right in front of them.

"Master…is that you," Mummymon asked in both excitement and fright.

"Indeed it is," the master replied, "It feels good to be back here…but one thing still needs to be done."

"Do you need any assistance with that," Arukenimon asked.

"Does it look like I need assistance…I'll be back to you guys in no time," and with that statement, the black data left Arukenimon and Mummymon standing there as it disappeared through a bunch of static, taking it to an already known environment…

* * *

**So there you go guys! Again, sorry if this chapter confuses any of you guys; if you have any questions, feel free to drop me a PM. Once again, please review; I love feedback and I feel like I need it more as the story progresses. Until next time, IP is gone!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello once again, Irish here to bring you another chapter in the revision! Again, I thank you all for reading and reviewing my work so far. This chapter is one of the longest ones that I have written and it should explain a lot and where this story will eventually lead to. Once again, please read, review, and enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

The group found themselves back in Izzy's room after they transported from the Digital World. Upon landing, they saw the older boy with his hands on his head, breathing at a slow pace, truly shocked at what just occurred not even a few seconds ago.

"What…just…happened," Izzy could barely speak to the group as he was trying to catch his breath.

"I think none of us saw that coming," TK uttered out, "I mean, that _**thing**_ came out of nowhere, just straight out of the blue and into the Digital World."

"I don't think it was much a thing as it was a spirit of some sort," Cody added.

"You mean some sort of ghost came into the Digital World just now," Yolei retorted.

"Apparently that's the case," Izzy stated, finally calming down a bit to answer, "The only questions that remain are who was it and why is it in the Digital World?"

"I might have a solution," Kari spoke up after looking down at her partner to see her still wearing a look of anger that hasn't changed in the last few minutes, "But I want to wait for the meeting to speak out about it, just so that I don't have to repeat myself."

"That's understandable," TK stated, "However, I think, in all honesty, the meeting should be moved to tonight instead of tomorrow."

"Why do you think that," Yolei asked.

"I think it's best to inform the rest about the current situation in the Digital World in case things go from bad to worse over the course the next few days," Cody explained.

"I agree with Cody," Izzy spoke up, "The meeting will be tonight, and we will discuss the current matters that are at hand. Before I contact the others, the content of where and when the meeting will take place doesn't matter to you guys, right?"

"Not at all," Kari responded, "In fact, I think here should be a good place and a time after eight should be just as reasonable for everybody."

Nodding his head in agreement, Izzy messaged the rest of the older kids about the urgent meeting that will be taking place.

"Do you think Davis and Ken might have a clue about that black mysterious figure," Cody asked.

"They might, but I would wait for tonight to come for them to explain what they might know," TK retorted.

After a few minutes have passed, Izzy had received responses from everybody stating that they should be able to make it. Seeing that they, along with their digimon, needed some rest and relaxation before tonight, the group departed back to their respective homes.

* * *

Davis has never imagined the current situation that he was facing or what he was doing right now. Ok, so he thought of dragging Kari around whenever she would feel weak…but he never thought for a minute that he would lug around Noriko, considering he is one of her new friends. Well that is what he was doing right now. Draping one arm across his shoulder for support, Noriko couldn't help but to stumble on the way back to her house, seeing as she was barely breathing from the event that took place only a few minutes ago.

"Davis…how much longer…" Noriko whispered hoarsely at Davis, who was doing his best at keeping her on her feet.

"Not that long, all we need to do is take the elevator up to your place and relax until you feel better," Davis explained, "I just hope your parents aren't home."

Noriko let out a weak sigh before stating, "They might be home, seeing as they are off from work for a few weeks."

Davis let out a sigh, and before he could say anything, Ken – who was following him the whole time – yelled out, "Davis, what do you want me to do with Oikawa?"

Davis turned his head to see Ken struggling a bit with the older adult, seeing him in the same state that Noriko was currently in.

"I don't know…take him back home and let him rest," Davis offered a suggestion up, hoping that it would do some good.

"That's good and all Davis, but how in the world am I supposed to know where he lives," Ken retorted.

"I can help you out with that," Oikawa stated, sounding a bit groggily.

"See, you have help; now, I'm going to take care of Noriko," Davis responded, but before he could start walking towards Noriko's complex, Davis looked down at his jacket pocket to see DemiVeemon lightly snoozing.

"I don't know if it's too much to ask, but can you please watch DemiVeemon for me for a little while; I'll tell you when I'm ready to come get him," Davis asked.

"Sure," Ken stated as Davis handed the In-Training digimon to Ken, who in turn set him in his knapsack, being careful not to wake him in the process, as well as disturb Wormmon. With this transaction done, Davis continued his walk towards Noriko's place.

Ken finally turned to face Oikawa, the task being difficult seeing as the man had a good six to eight inches in height on the teenager, before stating, "Please lead the way."

Oikawa obliged and stated to Ken where he needed to lead him on his way home. Meanwhile, Davis just reached Noriko's complex and, after getting on the elevator, got off on her floor and headed towards her front door.

"Davis, wait," Noriko stopped Davis in his tracks as he heard her friend's sharp yet worried voice kicking in, "What in the world are you going to tell my parents if they see me like this and they see you helping me out?"

"I'll think of something to say when that situation occurs," Davis stated. Nevertheless, said situation occurred only a few seconds after that statement was made as Isamu opened the door and surprised to see her daughter in the state that she was currently in…as well as started to see Davis.

Giving an awkward glance towards the boy, Isamu briefly asked, "Who are you, and what happened to my daughter?"

'_Oh great…it _**had **_to happen now,'_ Davis silently pondered as he was caught. Breathing out a heavy sigh, he stated, "My name is Davis and I'm one of Noriko's good friends. She came over to my place and we decided to head out for a walk, but then she felt light-headed, so I decided to aid her way back here."

Isamu had her head cocked to one side, wondering if she should believe Noriko's newly met friend. _'Please, let her believe me…'_ Davis hoped that Noriko's mother didn't ask any more questions and that she believed his little fib.

After a few seconds, Isamu gave a warm smile at Davis before stating, "Well, Davis, as awkward as this might seem, it is nice to meet you."

Davis was caught off-guard for just a bit. _'I can't believe that she actually believed me…'_ Davis felt ecstatic that he helped her friend out of a huge pickle. "It is nice to meet you as well. If you do not mind, would you mind letting me tend to your daughter for a while?"

"I do not mind one bit," Isamu replied, "I'm heading out for a bit, so it would be good for Noriko to have some company with her."

With that statement, Davis led Noriko into her house and led her into her bedroom, where he laid her down on her bed.

"So, how did that little cover-up sound to you?" Davis blurted out.

Noriko gave a small chuckle before replying, "It was great. Thank you for covering for me like that…I think my mother would have flipped had she known what really went down."

The two sat in silence for a few seconds before Davis asked, "What was that thing inside of you?"

"It was a spirit of a digimon that wanted revenge on you guys for killing him a long while back," Noriko calmly stated.

It only took Davis a few seconds to figure out who Noriko was talking about, "It must have been Myotismon."

"Who," Noriko couldn't help but to ask.

Davis gave a small sigh before explaining to Noriko the story that the older group had shared with him when they met for the anniversary some months ago. Davis made sure that he left nothing out as he told Noriko how Myotismon came into the real world in search for the eighth digidestined and his prolonged battle with the older kids before being defeated.

"I thought for sure that he was a goner, but I guess he wasn't…he must have been taking over Oikawa's body for a long time then, huh," Davis stated to Noriko.

Noriko was taking the time to let the story that she just heard sink in. After a couple seconds of silence, Noriko responded, "I guess that he was; I don't want to imagine what he plans on doing in the Digital World?"

Before replying to Noriko's question, Davis heard a buzzing noise coming from his pocket. Pulling out his D-Terminal, he saw a message from TK stating an urgent meeting tonight over at Izzy's place.

"Noriko," Davis asked, "Would you be comfortable with the idea of coming to my meeting tonight with the others; that way, you can tell them what occurred with you?"

"Davis," Noriko stated, "I don't think I can bear to state what happened to me over the past day just yet. In fact, I would rather want you here with me tonight…in case I snap or something."

"Noriko…" Davis tried to plea to his friend, but the look on her face made Davis wince; he couldn't stand to see the pain that Noriko just went through…and what if _**something**_ does happen tonight with her. "I can see what I can do."

Though he didn't want to send a reply to TK, Davis knew that he had to. Typing away his response, he hoped that his friend would understand what he went through in the course of his departure from the rest of the team.

* * *

Upon entering the little broken down apartment that belonged to Oikawa, Ken couldn't help but to grimace at the old man's surroundings. He lived in a kind of not safe environment being inside of this cramped apartment, seeing as how his kitchen, his living room, and his bedroom didn't have any dividing walls at all. In fact, the only room that Oikawa had was his bathroom, and it was starting to come apart.

Ken certainly felt Oikawa's pain, and maybe the reason for what did occur to him. "So, nice place you got here," Ken decided to break the ice by complimenting – or flat out lying – to Oikawa about his apartment.

"Please, don't bother," Oikawa stated, still feeling groggily and fatigued after what he had just been through. Trudging into the living room, he sat down on his couch and completely relaxed himself, hoping that Ken would leave and he could enjoy a nice snooze. It wasn't that he hated company – in fact, he loved it and would dearly appreciate the visit – it was just the fact that he wanted to be alone at the moment.

"Are you feeling alright," Ken asked as he walked into the living room, "Do you need me to get you anything."

Oikawa sighed before responding, "No thanks, I'll be fine. You can return home now."

"But I don't want to," Ken stated, "Not before I get some answers from you."

Oikawa wearily looked up at Ken, and hoping that the teenager would get the hint, he responded, "Look, I'm exhausted…it's been a long and painful four years and I feel like I should have a few hours of peace and relaxation; now is this so much to ask for."

"No, of course it's not," Ken replied not wanting to make Oikawa any more enraged than he already was, "I just want to know who was the thing that possessed you and why he did it?"

"It's a long story and I don't feel like telling it right now," Oikawa bitterly stated.

Ken wanted to speak, but he was interrupted as he heard some noise from his knapsack. Unfastening the strap, he opened it to find Wormmon and DemiVeemon needing some much needed air.

"Hey…where am I," DemiVeemon asked as he looked at the bizarre surrounding around him.

"Davis needed some alone time with his friend, so he asked me to watch you," Ken stated to the In-Training digimon, "Don't worry, you'll be back with him soon."

DemiVeemon gave a smile towards Ken, happy to hear the little plan.

"Ken," this time it was Wormmon who spoke up, "I heard a little rumble from your bag…at first, I thought it was DemiVeemon but then I spotted your D-Terminal."

"That reminds me, I'm hungry, can I please get something to eat," DemiVeemon spoke up.

"In a minute," Ken replied before pulling out his device to see a message stating an urgent meeting tonight at Izzy's.

"Oikawa," Ken stated, "I need you to come to tonight's meeting and explain to everyone what went on."

Before Oikawa could interject, Ken continued on, "Look, I know it's nothing important to you, but to us, it means a lot. We need to find a way to destroy Arukenimon and Mummymon and with that new being in the Digital World, it might be a bit too much. We would really appreciate telling us what happened to you all those years ago up to today."

Oikawa let out a sigh before stating, "Alright then, if it helps you guys destroy those beings, I will assist in your little meeting."

"Thank you," Ken politely stated before he sent a reply out, stating that he will be there tonight…along with a friend of his.

Oikawa got up from his position on the couch and made his way towards the kitchen. "Apparently, you must be starving from carrying me all the way home and seeing how your digimon are starving, I'll prepare you guys something."

"Really," Ken was taken aback by Oikawa's gesture.

"I really don't mind…plus, I kind of need to eat as well. It'll be the first meal in a long while that I've had without anyone interfering me in a negative way."

Ken couldn't find the words to respond to Oikawa's statement. Being grateful that he, along with the digimon, would be given lunch, Ken patiently waited in the living room, pondering over what might occur tonight at the meeting.

* * *

Evening quickly came down upon Odaiba and some of the group members were getting ready for the meeting in just a few hours. Others, however, were enjoying each other's company for just a bit.

Matt and Sora were currently taking a simple stroll through one of the Odaiba parks, simple chit chatting occurring between the two. They both decided to sit on a bench nearby to continue their discussion.

"So, plans after tonight's meeting…you got any?" Sora asked.

"Meh, not really sure…I mean, the meeting could take up a few hours of our night." Matt replied.

"So we aren't going to have our regular Saturday night outing then," Sora stated, sounding a little bit depressed.

"Well, we kind of are doing that right now if you think about it," Matt stated back.

"You know what I mean," Sora lightly chuckled while lightly pushing Matt.

Matt beamed a smile towards Sora's direction, glad to see that she was enjoying his company even though it wasn't the normal thing that they would do. The two have been secretly seeing each other for about a few months now and have been keeping their mouths shut to anyone who might ask about them. Sooner or later, though, both of the teens knew that they would have to confess what they've been doing.

"You realize that we're going to have to say something to the others, right," Sora spoke up. "I mean, if we are going to be official, I want everyone to know."

"I know; it's just that I don't want people getting hurt over this…especially Tai." Matt retorted.

Sora let out a small sigh. Matt was right; Tai was too good of a friend to keep this secret from, and Sora didn't want to see Tai heartbroken, knowing that the former leader had a crush on her for quite some time now.

"Well, we'll just ease our way through this; when the time is right, we will tell the group and hopefully they'll understand." Sora came to a firm conclusion about the topic at hand.

"I agree with you on that 100% hun," Matt stated as he placed his hand into Sora's and their fingers intertwined with one another.

Sora gave a small smile, elated that they were able to discuss this important matter. Looking up at the nighttime sky, admiring its beauty, Sora turned to Matt and said, "I think we should get going for Izzy's, just so that we aren't late."

Matt pulled out his phone to see that the meeting would start in a little less than a half hour. "Just give me five more minutes…this view above us is the only thing as beautiful as you."

Sora blushed at Matt's compliment and leaned in to give him a small peck on the cheek. "You're amazing, I hope you know that." Matt just gave a small head nod, beaming a smile that showed how joyful he was to have a chance at a relationship with a girl just as great.

* * *

Nearly out of breath as he reached the front door, Joe did his best to compose himself before knocking. Though the oldest member of the group has been studying hard for his last final on Monday, he thought that an hour away to discuss about the Digital World should do his brain some good.

Making sure that he was alright, Joe knocked on the door and, after a few seconds of waiting, Izzy promptly answered.

"Am I the last one here," Joe blurted out, seeing that it was just a few minutes past eight.

"Relax Joe," Izzy tried to reassure his friend, "You might be, but we wouldn't start the meeting without you."

Joe gave the young lad a smile as he walked right into Izzy's house and made his way towards his living room. There he saw the rest of the gang – excluding Davis – having some mild conversations amongst themselves.

"Well look who decided to make it," Tai was all smiles as he stated this tidbit as he saw Joe standing in the doorway.

"Hi guys, sorry I'm late," Joe gave a small apology to the team, to which they reassured the older lad that it wasn't a big deal.

"Ok, seeing that everyone is here, we should get this meeting started," Izzy stated as he came and shut the door behind him. "My parents are out for a few hours, but they left about an hour ago so I'm not sure how much time we have."

"Wait, where's Ken?" TK spoke up, wondering where the other member of the group was.

"He messaged me that he'll be coming in just a little bit," Izzy stated before asking, "So what do you think we should discuss first."

"I think we need to discuss what happened today right now," Yolei spoke out.

"Alright then, you guys have the floor," Matt stated as all the attention was positioned towards the younger kids.

"Well," TK started off, "We went in today to see if we could find any destruction that Arukenimon and Mummymon might have caused while we were away for a few days."

"We didn't find anything at first, but then they showed up and we were forced to fight them," Cody continued on. "After some time, we decided to retreat since there was no chance that we were going to win, but right before we were able to transport, some type of black aura came out of the screen and flew off into the distance."

"What do you mean a 'black aura' came out…do any of you guys know what it was," Sora asked.

Kari looked down to see Gatomon, who was sitting on the ground with all of the other digimon, giving her a small nod, motioning her to tell the rest, "I have a suggestion…it's more of Gatomon's suggestion than it is mine, but I'm sure it has to do with Myotismon."

The whole room fell silent as that name was mentioned. "I thought we killed him back at Highton View Terrance," Joe commented.

"Well apparently we didn't," Gatomon decided to speak up, standing in the middle of the group, "He was still out there being inside of someone for support. I have no clue if this is right, but it's just an assumption."

"I don't get it," Tai questioned, "Why would Myotismon feast off of somebody else?"

"In order to gain access to the Digital World," TK stated, "Don't you see; he was probably using somebody as a target so that, at the right time, he could have access into the Digital World. What he is doing now and why he wants to be there are questions that still need to be answered."

A sudden knock at the door interrupted the meeting for just a bit as Izzy opened to door to see Ken along with Oikawa standing right outside. "Maybe we could answer some of those questions."

The group was shocked to see Oikawa standing next to Ken, seeing as how he was not a digidestined nor did anyone know that he would be an importance to the main topic at hand.

"Well alright then, come on in," Izzy ushered the group into the living room as they made themselves comfortable.

"Hello everyone," Ken started off. "I hope you all don't mind if I brought someone here who can help out. His name is Oikawa and he was the person who was enslaved by Myotismon."

All eyes in the room fell upon Oikawa, who looked gloomy and worn out. Mustering up the courage to talk to the children, he stated, "If you guys don't mind, I would like to tell you what occurred to me not so long ago."

"Go ahead," Tai spoke out.

Oikawa made himself comfortable on the floor before starting off. "It first started back when I was a youngster. It was me and my one true friend back then, as we really had nobody else that shared the same interest that we had. That one interest was to find a world filled with exotic creatures, knowing that somewhere out in the world, there was a place where those being were. We didn't know it at the time but the Digital World fit suit to that type of dimension.

We never stopped believing that we could achieve the stature of heading there. As we grew older, our bond still remained intact, focused on that outside world. All of that changed, however, when he went away forever. I was torn into pieces when I heard about his death, and I couldn't stand to make myself normal for anyone to appreciate me, seeing as how I had spent most of my life living in my mind. I had nightmares, numerous ones, during the months that followed his death. I couldn't piece it together back then, but it was foreshadowing a stage in my life where I would give myself over.

It all occurred after the Highton View Terrance incident four years ago, where I assumed that most of you guys were involved in destroying Myotismon. I watched in amazement as the group departed from the real world in a rainbow filled warp heading back to the Digital World. I pleaded for mercy to head there with you, as I wanted to head there my whole life. Suddenly, I heard a voice – one that was full of malice and hatred – stating that if I wanted to head to the Digital World someday, I would have to follow his command and 'soothe my heart with hatred.' I was desperate at the time; anything would have done just to see that world.

I've been living in despair ever since he entered my body, stating that he was storing his data inside of me in order for him to enter the Digital World through me. Throughout the years, I quickly learned all about the digidestined and about his search for the eighth digidestined and his ultimate defeat. He wanted revenge; he wanted to rid you all from there…he wants to destroy you in the most grueling way possible. If it wasn't for Davis and Ken saving me, I would not be here right now explaining my story to you all."

The group was silent for a few minutes, allowing the words of Oikawa to sink in. Finally, Tai spoke up, "I can't believe that Myotismon was inside of you this whole time and we never noticed it."

"It's because he's been in hiding…in essence, I've been hiding from you," Oikawa stated, "He wanted to wait for the right moment to enter and to attack you guys, but seeing as the Digimon Emperor was there, Myotismon thought that the Emperor would simply crush him with his army."

Ken had a look of guilt on his face as Oikawa stated those words. "Sadly, I would have. For me, it wouldn't have been right if someone would have swept in and took my place as the controller of the Digital World."

"C'mon Ken, that was all in the past," TK tried to reassure his friend, "I know it's still hard for you, but you can't keep living those bad memories."

"I know and no matter how hard I try, they just keep coming back…all the pain and destruction that I've caused all of you guys, it will take a very long time for me to completely heal."

"We understand Ken," Tai spoke up, "In case you haven't noticed, I'm not going ballistic for you taking Agumon away from me. He's alright and that's all that matters right now."

"Well that only leaves one person," Ken muttered out.

"Give Davis some time; I have a feeling though that he has already forgiven you," Matt stated, giving the boy genius a reassuring smile.

"Thanks for that Matt," Ken replied.

"Pardon me, if you don't mind telling us, who was your friend that died," Yolei asked Oikawa.

Oikawa sighed before stating, "His name was Hiroki Hida."

A bewildering gasp was heard as the group turned to see Cody looking awe-struck at what he just heard. "You knew my dad?"

Oikawa gave a small smile and a nod to the youngster before stating, "Yes I did; he embodied some amazing traits even as a youngster. He was always about justice; always fighting for what was right and fair in the world. Looking at you, I can see that you embody those same traits and I have no doubt in my mind that he would be proud for accomplishing a dream that he held so dear to him."

Cody bit his lower lip, trying his best not to let his emotions show, especially with his friends around. "Thank you Oikawa," Cody found himself saying in almost a whisper.

A few seconds of silence passed by before Izzy spoke up, "Seeing as that topic is now done with, I want to address to the older guys about the possibility of teaming up with the younger generation and helping them defeat Arukenimon and Mummymon before things got out of hand."

"I'm all in; I don't want to see the Digital World in any more pain and suffering." Tai exclaimed, and the rest of the older generation followed suit, each agreeing to help out in the fight against the enemies.

"Alright guys, I suggest that tomorrow we head out to the Digital World for a hard day of work before subsiding for a little while," Kari stated.

"Sounds good to me, how about the rest of you," TK stated and in response saw Ken, Yolei and Cody all agree to this notion. "Good, I'll email Davis and tell him."

Deciding to call the meeting over with, the large group headed out near the exit and departed home. Izzy saw this as an opportunity to speak with Oikawa one on one.

"Pardon me Oikawa," Izzy stated as Oikawa rose from his seating position, "If I may ask, do you have any idea of where Myotismon may be heading to once he got access to the Digital World?"

Oikawa shook his head somberly, "I have no clue…please, if you find anything out, don't hesitate to give me a call." With that, Oikawa handed Izzy a piece of paper with his number written on it. Deciding that it was time to leave, Oikawa made his way out of Izzy's house and onto the streets of Odaiba, pondering over what he just explained to the group.

'_I think it was the right thing to do…those kids will evidently need all the help they can get…'_ Oikawa silently pondered as he continued to walk along the nighttime sky.

* * *

"Thanks again for staying over and watching over Noriko for us; you are more than welcome to come over anytime" Takumi stated to Davis as the teenager was about to leave the apartment.

"Not a problem and thank you for the offer," Davis politely stated before making his way back home.

Deciding to check up to see how the rest of the group was doing, he pulled out his D-Terminal to find two unread messages. The first, being from Ken, stated that DemiVeemon was alright with staying at his place for the night and that he would see him tomorrow morning in the Digital World. Curious to know what Ken meant, he saw the second message belonged to TK, explaining to him that the group was meeting in the Digital World tomorrow morning to have a good day of work before relaxing a bit before the holidays.

Smiling to know that he would be united with his partner tomorrow, Davis trudged off towards his complex. He was truly elated that he got the chance to spend the day with Noriko. After seeing what she went through, he thought that the small jester would do her some good.

However, during their time together, Noriko started to talk to Davis about hearing voices inside of her, really faint ones at that. The voices would try to lure her into this other dimension, but Davis would quickly snap her back into reality. He couldn't help but to wonder, however, what other dimension was Noriko talking about. More importantly, where did Myotismon eventually head off to in the Digital World…

* * *

Myotismon found himself wandering the Dark Ocean still in bits of data. Growing furious with waiting around, he yelled out for someone to come at once.

All of a sudden, two red spots – which acted as eyes – appeared from under Myostismon's floating data.

"Why hello there, you called me," the voice stated in an eerie yet strong voice.

"Yes I did," Myotismon responded, "I'm here to ask for you to keep away from the digidestined. I have a bone to pick with them and I would love it if you would not interrupt my plans."

"Really," the voice stated, "This is what you wanted me for? You wanted me to stay away from those children because you wanted the spot light to yourself?"

"This isn't going to be easy, is it?" Myotismon asked.

"It isn't going to be easy for _**you**_," the voice exclaimed aloud.

"What do you mean by that; you have seen all that I've done now right," Myotismon barked out.

"Look around you; you are clearly in my domain," the voice bellowed out, "They don't refer me as the Depraved Monk of the Deep for nothing. I feast off of the darkness that _**you**_ so took upon yourself and tried to destroy the digidestined. In fact, you had two times to defeat them, and both of them were failures. That little prophecy didn't work in your favor at all, as the kids found a way to kill you off.

You then thought of feeding off of somebody else and trying to take them into the Digital World. I've seen what you've been doing with Oikawa, and what you tried to do with Noriko. I can't thank you enough for what you did with Noriko and the state that you left her in. Pretty soon, she'll join me here in my domain, along with the other two, and I will be able to defeat those kids once and for all!"

"Are you telling me that I don't have a chance in aiding you in that fight," Myotismon asked.

"No you don't…as a matter of fact, I find it extremely hard to see you live after what I'm about to do to you." And with that statement, out of the water came a near twelve foot tentacle with a ten foot trident pointing down at Myotismon's data. Without a second passing by, the tentacle swooped down upon the data and destroyed the data altogether.

With his tentacle heading down into the water, the evil being began to howl in madness. "Just like I said, I _**will**_ destroy the digidestined once and for all!" The laughter died down, however, as two tentacles came out from the water and, grasping a large rosary, silence fell upon the Dark Ocean as a digimon fell to the great ruler.

* * *

Arukenimon felt a chill running up her spine as she drove her jeep on a dirt paved road. "Something doesn't feel right."

Mummymon saw the concern on his comrade's face and asked, "What doesn't feel right?"

"I feel as though someone just destroyed our master…" Arukenimon stated in a low whisper. The jeep was getting slower by the second as Arukenimon felt the need to not drive any longer. Once the vehicle came to a stop, Arukenimon got out and dropped to her knees, finding it difficult to breathe.

"Is it true…is he really gone," Arukenimon asked out to nobody in particular.

"If he is, then who will lead us," Mummymon couldn't help but to ask.

"We have a bigger issue on our hands here Mummymon," Arukenimon spoke harshly to her comrade.

"Which is…?" Mummymon retorted, to which Arukenimon spun around and stated, "Who killed our leader, and should we fear that being or not?"

* * *

**So there is Chapter 10 for you all. A little bit dark for some but I found it reasonable to get this chapter out of the way now. In case any of you had any questions, the same routine still applies: either a review or a PM and we can discuss. Again, please review to see what I can do to improve. Until next time, IP is gone!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey everyone, Irish here again to give you guys Chapter 11 of my story. Once again, I thank you all for reading and reviewing up to this point. This is where the Christmas kind of ordeal happens (well, just the beginning of it...) but don't worry; after a couple chapters of the fluff, the action will resume better than ever! So as always, read, review, and enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

Sunday morning came upon the town of Odaiba with winter frenzy coming down hard. A steady fall of snow has left the town in a luxurious sheet of the white substance. Just looking at the glistening element that makes winter stand out brings out the best in people – an attitude that can be found around the holiday season. Yes, Christmas was upon the digidestined and they were all elated in their own ways; however, before they could relax, there was one hard day of work ahead for the group.

The six members were currently in the Digital World, surrounded by numerous trees, trying to figure out what to do on their one work day before their break.

"Alright, well what should we do," Yolei asked after a few minutes of silence plagued the group.

"Well, there is really one thing we should and that is to find out where Myotismon went," Davis retorted.

"Davis," Kari spoke up looking frantic, "I…I don't think you need to worry about him that much."

"What do you mean," Ken asked the girl, easily startled to see her current state.

Kari gave a long sigh before stating, "I had a dream last night; a sign that something occurred yesterday. Gatomon had the same dream last night, didn't you?"

At this, Gatomon looked up at her partner, clearly miffed that she would call her out. Looking around the group, the feline sighed and answered, "Yes, I had a similar dream about Myotismon."

"Well," Cody asked, "What happened in your dream?"

"I only remember one certain part of my dream," Kari started out before going into detail on what happened…

_*****Flashback begins *****_

_Kari found herself, along with Gatomon, walking along a beach that looked all-too familiar to her: the Dark Ocean. Why she was here was beyond her control._

_Suddenly, the two looked across the ocean to see Myotismon's data floating above the water. Gatomon's ears began to perk up._

"_What are you hearing," Kari asked her partner._

_It took a few seconds for Gatomon to reply, seeing as she wanted to hear what was going on, but she eventually replied, "It sounds like Myotismon is talking with someone…something about another chance at defeating us."_

"_Why are we here," Kari couldn't help but to ask aloud, "It seems strange that we would have the same dream with Myotismon in it as he just came into the Digital World today? And even at that, why is he in the Dark Ocean?"_

_All of Kari's questions would come to a halt as the duo looked out into the lake and gawked at what occurred next. A long blue tentacle emerged out of the water holding a golden trident and pointing it down towards Myotismon. Without a second to blink, the trident lunged downward and struck at the floating data, which disintegrated upon contact._

"_He's…he's gone," Gatomon sounded half elated, half frightened while stating this._

_Kari was silent as she saw the tentacle descend down into the water, a loud cackle booming out from that place. "Was that the master that wants me…?" Kari could only muster out these words in a whisper, wondering if what the Scubamon said was true about their master wanting her._

_*****Flashback ends*****_

"So you mean to tell us that Myotismon is dead," TK sounded baffled at what he just heard from his best friend.

"Apparently that's the case," Kari stated as she saw the awe-struck looks on the groups and digimon's faces.

"I wouldn't buy too much into what you saw," Yolei spoke out, "Sure, Myotismon might be dead, but we still have Arukenimon and Mummymon lurking around."

Kari looked at Yolei and gave a small head nod, seeing that the group had more on their plates now even though one problem might have already been written off.

"I have an idea," Ken stated while looking outward towards a control spire in the distance, "I think we need to destroy more spires so that those two don't get any bright ideas."

"Well, that's a start," Cody replied, "But I think we need to do more."

"What more can we do," Ken retorted, "Seeing as Arukenimon hasn't found us yet, she's probably plotting her next attack. Maybe she's going back to using spired born digimon to attack us along with her and Mummymon. It gives us a reason to be here before we head off for break."

A couple seconds of silence plagued the group, seeing as they were all thinking about the plan that has just been stated. After that brief silence, the whole group came to a conclusion to go ahead with Ken's plan and destroy as many spires as they can. After digivolving their digimon, the group went off, not knowing that someone was overhearing their conversation…

* * *

"So those little brats think they can one-up me again, huh," Arukenimon stated as she drove around in her jeep with Mummymon as her companion.

"Apparently they think so; I'm glad you got a little bit of what they're doing," Mummymon replied back.

"Well, I just couldn't help but to tip-toe over and hid behind a tree and just eavesdrop just a bit," Arukenimon stated, "Besides, I think we are running a tad late for out meeting."

Mummymon looked down at the dashboard inside the jeep to see that the time – though a tad bit off – has left them with good enough indication that they would make their meeting in a landslide. All was well as the duo spent the next couple minutes driving at top speed till they reached their destination.

The duo got out and looked at their surroundings, seeing nothing but reddened cliffs all around them, while a greyish sky covered the place.

"Funny isn't it; I don't remember seeing this place in the distance," Mummymon couldn't help but to state the obvious after seeing the bizarre place.

"Oh don't be such an idiot! You must have been dozing off during the drive to see…" Arukenimon harshly stated. _'Quite frankly, this place looks strange to me…'_ Arukenimon pondered after giving her surroundings another look.

"Well you guys know how to arrive just in time," a deep voice bellowed out of nowhere. The duo searched all around them to find the source of that voice, but all they saw was a blackish purple vortex swirling below them a couple feet in front of them. Uprising from the vortex was a digimon, donning a red robe with an unusual marking down the middle – its markings in green on a greyish part separate from the red – while having two purplish wings with claws jetting out of them. Two horns came out from the side of the hood, which impaled everything on the digimon's face except for his eyes, beaming bright red.

"Dae…Daemon, hello there," Mummymon trembled as he saw the Mega leveled digimon staring at the duo with fierce intensity.

"I've overheard the digidestined talking about having a hard day of work before their little break from here," Arukenimon stated, "Maybe your little group can wreak a bit of havoc here to stir up some fun while we try to find the creature that killed Myotismon."

"Rubbish," Daemon shouted to the duo, "There is no way that you can take on the creature that lurks in the Dark Ocean. I've seen his work and from what I can tell, you two would be dead in a few seconds."

Arukenimon didn't seem the least bit phased at this little tidbit of information. "Alright, then what do you suggest that we do?"

"You two could use a little break yourselves," Daemon ordered, "Just leave the destruction to my group."

"Very well," Mummymon chimed in, "But what will you guys be doing?"

"Let's just say that the digidestined won't expect what is about to happen," Daemon stated as a portal formed below him, allowing himself to slowly sink in, "Don't worry about a thing; you guys might have some fun sooner or later, but for now, let me take care of everything." With these words, Daemon slipped into the portal, leaving the duo in silence.

"So what do we do now, honey," Mummymon asked. This type of statement left him with a mark on his face from the slap that Arukenimon delivered to him.

"Simple, _**Mummymon**_," Arukenimon growled at her comrade, reminding him to never refer to her with that word, "We sit back and watch the show. By the time we have our fun with the children, they will most likely be too worn out and we'll just go in for the kill."

"Sounds like a plan," Mummymon cried out in pain from the hit. With this, the two hopped back into the jeep and drove off, unaware that a certain being was watching the whole conversation from the top of the cliff.

* * *

"Way to go guys, I think we can call it a day," Davis exclaimed to the digimon, who have been destroying tons of control spires for about a few hours now.

"I agree with that," Kari stated as the rest of the group saw their respective digimon dedigivolve and head towards their partner.

Ken was about a couple feet away from the rest of the group, looking nervous as he fumbled what looked like some holiday cards in his hand. Wormmon crawled on over to see Ken in his current state and looked puzzled himself.

"Are you alright Ken," Wormmon asked his partner, having his head cocked to one side in sheer confusion.

"Yeah I'm fine, it's just that…" Ken briefly paused as he brought the cards closer to him, even to the point of touching his chest, "What if nobody wants to come?"

"Ken, they're your friends, of course they would love to come," Wormmon stated, "But you won't know unless you ask them."

Ken looked down at his partner and gave a smile, "Alright then, here goes nothing," Ken stated as he made his way towards the rest of the group.

"Hey Ken, why the long face," Yolei was the first one to notice Ken's expression as he neared the rest of the group, holding the cards to his chest.

After taking a deep breath, Ken held the cards out for the rest while he nervously stated, "I want to cordially invite you guys to a little Christmas party this Tuesday. Sure it's Christmas Eve, but it was the only time that my parents would allow this little gathering to partake."

"Why are you acting all jittery and such Ken," TK pointed out, "If it makes you feel any better, I'll be happy to go."

"Really," Ken stated, a little smile starting to form across his face, "You'd make it?"

"He's not the only one," Kari stated, "Count me in; I'll have nothing else to do since my family has plans that night."

"I'm pretty sure my folks would understand, so it's a yes for me," Cody said.

"Well, maybe I can pull some strings so I don't have to work the convenient store," Yolei spoke out, "So hopefully I can make it."

"Seeing as everyone else is coming, you can sign me up," Davis stated, "However, if you guys don't mind, I'd like to bring a friend along."

The group fell silent in response to Davis' question. "Is this the friend that we helped out yesterday?" Ken asked the leader, to which he gave a simple head nod.

"I don't see why not; I think it'll be great to have her introduced," Ken stated with a smile, which in return made Davis smile, elated that Noriko would hopefully be able to join in with the festivities. _'Now all I need to do is ask her…'_ Davis silently pondered.

"Umm, Ken," the boy looked down to see Veemon wearing a saddened expression on his face, "Are the digimon invited as well?"

Ken gave the little dragon like digimon a reassuring smile before stating, "Of course, it wouldn't be the same celebrating the holidays without you guys."

At this, Davis gave a slight grin and nodded his head, making everyone looking at him with an uneasy expression on their faces.

"Davis," TK asked, "Are you feeling alright?"

"Never better," Davis replied, "In fact, I have an amazing idea to surprise the others…"

* * *

Though it took some time to wrangle up all the older children's digimon, they finally had them up one big group, eager to know what Davis had in store for them.

"Alright guys," Davis spoke out, "How would you like it if you saw your partners for the holidays coming up?"

"Really, you mean it," Agumon had a hard time containing his gleeful attitude towards the plan.

"Yep; I contacted Izzy a while ago to have the rest of the group meet up at his place for a little surprise," Davis explained to the others.

"Ooh I can hardly wait," Biyomon perked up, "It's been too long since we've seen our partners."

"I know, and whenever we reunited, we were always trying to escape from the Emperor," Gomamon stated.

The crowd went silent after the little seal like digimon's statement. "Too soon I'm guessing," Gomamon looked up at Ken with a cheesy grin, "Sorry about that."

Ken gave the small rookie a reassuring smile while stating, "It's fine; all of that is in the past."

"Guys, what about me," Palmon spoke up as she began to whimper a bit, "Mimi's all the way in America remember."

"That's all taken care of," Kari stated to the plant like digimon, "We have a teleport that will take you directly to Mimi's place. You can thank Izzy for helping us set it up"

Palmon looked up at Kari, tears streaming down her face and bawling out, "You guys are the greatest. This is going to be amazing; I finally get to see Mimi again!"

"Yes you do; please tell her I said hello," Yolei stated towards the rookie.

"Well if everything is taken care of," Davis stated, looking at Palmon, "Just stand where you are and we'll send you to America in a jiffy."

After a few minutes of traveling and finding the nearest television, Davis turned the knob on the set to find the right coordinates in order to send Palmon on her way. After a couple seconds of turning, the leader found the right coordinates and, after everyone wishing her safe travels, Palmon was engulfed into the television.

"Alright guys, now it's your turn," Davis instructed the others to get ready. After a few more seconds of knob-turning, the right destination was located and away they went to meet up with the others.

* * *

**(A/N) This next section will be kind of confusing without a clear explanation…it's about noon in Japan so it's about 10 PM over in the eastern part of America.**

The six older generational digidestined children were patiently waiting in Izzy's bedroom to learn about the surprise that was about to shortly take place. Everyone was busy pondering to themselves what the surprise was that Davis had in store for them. Their questions were answered when, from Izzy's laptop, a white light suddenly engulfed his room, and when it died down, it revealed the other kids with their respective digimon – and their own partners.

To say that the other teenagers were ecstatic when they saw their surprise would have been an understatement. Since it has been a few months since they've been able to see their partners, each were glad to be paired up once again just in time for the holidays.

"Davis," Tai stated while hugging Agumon, "I don't think one simple thanks will do me any good."

"What can I say; I told you guys you would be surprised." Davis stated, truly elated that the others enjoyed the reunion with their digimon.

"So was Palmon able to reunite with Mimi after I sent you guys the coordinates," Izzy asked to the others.

"Yep, she sure did," Cody retorted, giving a short head nod in Izzy's direction.

"I wonder what her reaction will be like when she sees Palmon," TK commented.

Nobody had time to answer TK's statement as another white light engulfed the bedroom, confusing everyone who was present. The light quickly vanished to reveal Mimi and Palmon, in an all-out embrace, sobbing their eyes out while in front of the others.

"Umm…Mimi," Matt decided to end the silence surrounding the room by nearly shouting out to the teenage girl.

Mimi definitely was off guard when she opened her eyes and saw her – with Palmon still in her arms – surrounded by the rest of the digidestined. In the midst of being embarrassed, Mimi dropped Palmon and gave a wave with her one hand while the other nervously rubbed the back of her head.

"Hi guys; thanks to you all for giving me Palmon and…" Mimi was at a loss for words. Just a few minutes ago, she was in the comfort of her father's workplace (which was where the computer that teleported Palmon was located in) and now she found herself in her nightgown and her brown hair somewhat of a mess.

"I'm guessing it's nighttime over in New York isn't it," Sora responded after seeing her good friend in her nighttime attire.

Mimi's response was a simple head nod because, before she could say another word, a massive light – easily brighter than the previous two – consumed the bedroom yet again.

"Oh c'mon, who can it be this time," Joe cried out, wanting the madness to stop.

The light came to an abrupt end, and standing in everyone's midst was someone, though they couldn't tell who because the mysterious figure was donning on a white robe.

"Sorry to interrupt and all, but who are you and why are you here," Davis asked the strange figure.

At that statement, the figure pulled the hood from his robe off, revealing an older-looking gentleman; young in the face with brown hair reaching down into a ponytail. His blue eyes gave a look of anguish, the same expression he had written on his face.

"I'm always good for a joke every now and again, but now is not the time," the man stated, looking around to see the twelve digidestined around him.

"Wait a minute," Izzy stated while looking over the man, "It can't be, can it?"

"So does anyone know who this guy is," Yolei asked up.

Izzy was truly baffled as he figured out who the figure was. Wanting to know about the situation, the teenager asked the adult one simple question, "…Gennai, is that you?"

"That is correct," Gennai stated, giving a small head nod.

"Wait, what now," TK was surely amazed by Gennai's appearance, "Surely this is a trick. The last time we saw you, you were an old man."

"You'd be surprised by what can occur," Gennai responded, "But that's a different story for another time."

"So, explain again why you are here," Davis asked yet again, growing agitated by the minute.

"I am getting to that part if you would kindly stop interrupting me," Gennai stated towards Davis, still having those distressed eyes. Davis obeyed with a simple head nod.

As soon as he had everyone's attention, Gennai continued on with his speech. "There is only purpose that I have to be here, and that is to inform you guys of an evil presence that will be coming soon. They call themselves the Daemon Corps, three ultimate level digimon while their leader, known as Daemon, is a mega. They have a plan to rid you all from this world and your partners from both worlds for good."

"That doesn't sound good at all," Tentomon commented from atop of Izzy's desk.

"Indeed it isn't," Gennai retorted before continuing, "While I overheard Daemon's conversation with Arukenimon and Mummymon just a few hours ago, Daemon didn't show any sign of joining up with the duo. In fact, his group is working alone; they will be the only ones running the show."

"Gennai is there any way we can stop this from happening," Tai asked.

"There is no way to prevent what is about to occur," Gennai stated, his face turning even more anguished, "The Daemon Corps come through their own personal vortex so sealing up the Digital World will not affect them."

"You said we are fighting three ultimates and one mega, correct?" Matt asked Gennai, to which the latter responded with a solemn head nod.

"That's crazy; how in the world are we supposed to destroy them with only some of us only digivolving up to champion level," Ken asked in an absurd manner.

"That's the reason why I am here," Gennai stated before he turned towards Mimi and Palmon, "And the reason why I had you gals sent here." With these statements said, Gennai pulled out a blue glowing orb.

"Wow, what is that?" Cody asked, looking bewildered at what Gennai was holding.

"When I spoke with Azulongmon about the event that were coming up, he gave me one of his twelve digi-cores. This sphere has powers that I'm not sure you all are ready for, but seeing as there is no other solution I hope that this can aid you in the fights ahead. If you all can, please hold up your digivices."

Without any hesitation, twelve digivices shot up into the air, ready to surge with the power of the sphere. The orb gave off a white flashing light as it reacted with the digivices.

"Well I certainly feel strange," Gatomon stated, feeling the effect of the sphere working on her.

"Welcome to the club," Patamon retorted, feeling the same surge.

"Hey, why can't I join in," DemiVeemon cried out, looking at his small hands as he feel something strange going on.

Within an instant, the entire group was star-struck as they saw the three In-Training digimon digivolve into their rookie forms.

"Davis," Veemon cried out, looking up at his partner, "Check out what happened to me!"

"Geez, way to forget about us," Armadillomon droned out, though his facial expression read excitement.

"Well there you guys have it," Gennai explained, "With that orb you guys now have the power to digivolve to all of your forms, including Ultimate for you older guys."

Gatomon couldn't believe what she just heard as she was clapping her paws together in jubilation. "Finally," she exclaimed, "It's time to see what that little group has to say when they see Angewomon in full force!"

"I'm glad to see that everyone here is enjoying their upgrades," Gennai replied with a smile across his face, showing no fear whatsoever.

"Wait, Gennai," Mimi spoke out, "What about me; how am I going to help out with the fighting?"

"Quite simple," Gennai stated while turning his attention towards Izzy's computer, "Izzy's computer is already lined up to the computer back at your place. I thought that by doing this, you can have easy access over to Odaiba in order to assist with the fighting."

"That's going to be quite difficult Gennai," Mimi explained, "There's a ten-hour overlay between America and Japan, see," Mimi gave a clear definition by showing off her nightgown. "How am I able to help out if I can't even function properly?"

Gennai started to think about the problem at hand, but Sora beat him to it, "Don't worry about a thing. After Christmas, explain to your folks what's going on back here and have you stay here until everything is back to normal. You can happily stay at my place; I'm sure that my mom wouldn't mind."

Mimi gave a smile as she approached Sora to embrace her in a hug. "Thank you for the offer Sora; you're the best."

"Hey, it wouldn't be right if we were fighting and you were back at home not able to help," Tai reassured the girl.

"You darn right it wouldn't be fair," Mimi retorted back.

"Alright," Gennai stated, "Seeing as that little problem is fixed, please be on the lookout for signs of the Daemon Corps. They can appear at any given time and we can't allow innocent people to get hurt." As he was stating this, he made his way over to Izzy's computer. "If you need any more help, you guys know how to reach me." And with that statement, Gennai left in a bright white light engulfing him back into the Digital World.

* * *

Yolei was busy twirling around her hair with her finger, trying to keep herself entertained as she was slumped over the counter of her parent's convenient store. Seeing as she was supposed to help her family out on Christmas Eve, she was able to forgo that work day to head to Ken's party by doing the late night shift both tonight and tomorrow night. Yolei didn't mind to this at all, seeing as she didn't have school anymore.

"Geez, this is too boring isn't it," Yolei stated the obvious while turning her attention to Hawkmon, who was busy acting as a stuffed bird atop of the counter in case of customers coming in.

"Earth to Hawkmon, nobody is here…you can stop the charade," Yolei poked the bird like digimon in his wing, making him jump a bit.

"Well sorry for trying to act; who knows, what if someone comes in here and sees us talking," Hawkmon asked.

"I might say that you both have gone crazy," Yolei and Hawkmon turned their attention to who just entered the store and were surprised to see Ken standing in the doorway.

"Hi Ken, what brings you here at this time," Yolei curiously asked.

"Well, my parents allowed me to go for a little walk…which turned into a subway ride and more walking," Ken stated with a smile. "Wormmon was already asleep when I left."

"You aren't here to buy anything I'm guessing," Yolei asked, knowing the genius wanted to talk.

"You're too good," Ken responded, "I have a strange feeling about this Daemon Corps."

"Well go ahead, speak about them," Hawkmon was also enthused by the two teenagers talking as he wanted in on the conversation.

"Alright then," Ken continued, "I have this feeling that they are after me. Nobody knows about my past…well, except for my parents. But they don't know _**everything**_, and what I'm about to tell you is something that they know nothing about."

Yolei and Hawkmon exchanged nervous glances at each other before returning their attention to Ken. "Last night, I had one of my reoccurring dreams. It was the one about me being in the Digital World at a young age…"

"Wait, what now," Yolei stopped Ken in his tracks. "You've been to the Digital World _**before**_ you were the Digimon Emperor?!"

Ken nodded towards the disbelief girl before continuing, "I think I need to start at the beginning. Remember, this is stuff that even my parents know nothing about, so I need you to promise me that nothing comes out. What I am about to tell you stays between you and me, got it?"

Yolei slowly nodded – turning her attention towards Hawkmon, he also nodded – before Ken went on to tell the tale of what happened to him as a young kid. Starting off with finding his digivice and traveling to the Digital World and what occurred there, Yolei listened and tried to take in everything that Ken was telling her. She was appalled when she heard about Ken's older brother and felt immediate pity. _'I'm guessing that he's had to deal with this darkness for a very long time…'_ Yolei pondered as Ken continued on with what he described as a Dark Spore inflicting him to turn away from everyone in his life, eventually starting his reign as the Digimon Emperor.

"You see, I have this feeling that those digimon are after the dark spore. Think about this; I helped out Davis save one of his new friends from Myotismon's enslavement. I wonder what she is feeling right now; if she has darkness inside of her. And what about Kari and the Dark Ocean; she's another case."

"Ken," Yolei stated, "Those two people are different from you. They didn't have to go through what you went through, and I guarantee you they don't have spores that are in them."

"True, but it's the darkness that empowers the spore that the Daemon Corps must want," Ken stated, "There's a lot of darkness in the Digital World, and I guarantee you that, whoever is ruling that ocean, these ultimates and Daemon want to team up with the ruler and conquer those in darkness…guess the only way that _**that**_ could occur."

"With the dark spore," Yolei answered, now knowing what Ken was talking about.

"Exactly; we need to stop that group before they get to me," Ken said.

"You don't need to worry about a thing," Yolei tried her best to reassure her friend, "We have our digimon and they will all protect you."

"That's right," Hawkmon chipped in, "Think about Wormmon and what he can do."

Ken gave a smile as he thought about Stingmon and the pain that he could bring, "I'm guessing you guys are right."

"You know something," Yolei said, "I think you need a little bit of a break before these bad guys come along. How about you and I hang out during Christmas Day, just the two of us?"

Ken looked at the enthused girl before stating, "That's nice and all but I'm not sure how that would go well with my parents, and seeing as it is Christmas, spending time with them is important."

"Well of course it is," Yolei responded, "I just mean for a few hours of getting your mind cleared up. Please; it would mean everything to me," Yolei started to pout, hoping this guilt trip would work on the boy.

Ken gave a small sigh before stating, "I'll see what I can do." Looking at the clock on the wall behind Yolei, Ken decided that it was late at night and, seeing as he had a long way home, he left the store feeling secure and happy, knowing that Yolei was there to help him out.

* * *

Still in that strange dimension that he had his meeting in earlier today, Daemon was floating about, pondering about the circumstances that could arise as he and his minions got ready to take on the digidestined.

"I know something is up their sleeves…I can almost feel it," Daemon spoke aloud, "That guy must have helped out; he thought that I didn't notice him spying."

Daemon let out a hardy laugh before continuing, "Such a fool to believe that he could do anything to stop me. Once I get a hand of Ken Ichijouji and that dark spore inside of him, all of Odaiba will be mine, and with that, I could venture into the Dark Ocean, where I'll team up with the ruler and we'll be an unstoppable force."

Daemon rubbed his hands together, his eyes showing a sort of a grin, easily amused by his own plan. "Just you wait; we'll give you all some time to relax and then we'll head out and attack you guys from out of the blue. They won't expect a thing." With his plan all thought out, Daemon opened up another vortex and slowly slipped on downward.

* * *

**Well there you guys have it. Alright, so I have a few things to get off of my chest...**

**First off, I want to apologize for the lateness of this chapter (I consider it late if I don't update on a weekly basis...) but I've just been real busy lately, and the fact that I start college in a few weeks doesn't make things look any more easier. But don't worry...I'll find ways to keep updating! :)**

**Secondly, I'm wondering why I am not getting much feedback from my story. I'm not trying to be a nuisance or anything, but it kind of urks me to see the lack of reviews from the last few chapters. If I have feedback, I'll know what I need to work on to improve my story. I'm not trying to force you guys to review because I don't want that to happen. If you guys have any feedback (positive and/or negative whatsoever), then please share if you feel comfortable doing it. Again, I'm not trying to come out harsh; that is the last thing I am trying to do. If you want to discuss, simply PM me and I'll be happy to do it with you. :)**

**So until my next update (which I hope will come out sometime next week), IrishPanther is signing off!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello everybody, once again this is Irish and I'm here to deliver to you all Chapter 12 of my story! I thank you all for reading and reviewing up to this point in the story! This chapter is strictly Christmas Eve relating to the show, but I have a bit of a surprise for you all. You'll have to wait until the next author's note, which is at the end of this chapter...ooh, clever guy I am ;) Anyway, read, review, and enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

With a good night sleep and, having everything carefully planned that he needed for tomorrow's party, Ken was sure that getting everything prepared would be very durable. However, plans don't always go the way that everyone wished they would, and this scenario is what almost broke the genius.

"Ken," Wormmon tried to calm the teenager down from atop his bed, "Stay calm please; everything is going to be OK."

"Oh and how would _**you**_ know that," Ken furiously snapped back at his partner, "Do you have any idea how much time it takes to get a party ready. Knowing which food to prepare, knowing which games the others would be interested, making sure that everything in your house is spotless…it just never ends!"

Ken took a few seconds to catch his breath before looking up and lending a smile at his frightened partner, "I'm sorry for losing my temper Wormmon; it's just that I had no idea how much work it took to prepare for a simple gathering."

"Well, I for one am completely shocked," Wormmon stated, "Especially coming from someone as smart as you."

"Well, even geniuses sometimes have their off days, and I'm guessing that today is mine," Ken retorted.

"I think you should ask your parents for some help…they could help you, right," Wormmon asked.

Ken walked over and looked at the small clock that was at the bottom corner of his computer screen. Seeing that it was well into the afternoon, his parents would be home for work soon. _'Maybe they could help me out just a bit…'_

"I guess I could ask them for help; they'll be home very soon and maybe they could recommend some things for me." Ken stated up to Wormmon.

"I'm glad to hear that Ken," Wormmon stated before nervously playing around with his small legs, "Do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Sure thing," Ken responded as he grabbed ahold of his partner from atop his bed.

"Well," Wormmon squirmed a bit in Ken's arms before continuing, "Do you think this is a good time to tell your parents about the Digital World?"

Ken gave Wormmon a quizzical look before stating, "What makes you think it is?"

"Well, with everything that Gennai discussed about yesterday, I think that it would be best for your parents to know about me…plus, I think they would worry if they found out that you took off for long periods during the day."

Ken couldn't help but to nod his head in agreement with his partner. His parents fretted the last time that Ken left when he was the Digimon Emperor, and he did promise them that he would open up more with them.

Breathing a sigh, Ken stated, "I guess you're right; how about I have that talk with my parents tonight, just to ease into everyone else's digimon coming over tomorrow."

Wormmon gave a short nod before he replied, "Sounds like a plan to me."

Just then, the duo heard the front door opening and shutting. Knowing that someone was at least home, Ken set Wormmon on his bed – the latter one hiding under the covers so that his cover wasn't blown – and walked out to greet his mother who was hanging her apron up.

"Oh hey Ken," Mrs. Ichijouji looked at her son and beamed, "How has your day been."

"Well, it hasn't been going good," Ken started out, "See, I'm kind of having trouble about my little get-together tomorrow with a group of my friends; I'm completely lost on what to do and I was wondering if you could please help me out a bit."

"Oh why certainly dear," Mrs. Ichijouji responded as she grabbed her purse that was hanging up on the hanger, "Come along, I know just the place where you can get your food for your little get-together…I'm still in shock that you are going to have friends over. It's been such a long time."

Ken looked up to see his mother's jubilant face and gave a smile. It was true; Ken couldn't remember the last time that he had friends over…in fact, he never really had friends over before. _'Maybe that's why I'm having such a hard time with this party…'_ Ken silently pondered, feeling a bit crushed that this would be the first time that he would have people over. However, his sadness only dwelled for a few seconds before feeling delighted at his mother's willingness to help out.

"Thank you mother," Ken stated. After leaving the front door and heading towards the elevator, Ken drew a short sigh before asking, "Hey Mom, do you mind if we have a little talk tonight with Dad as well?"

"Oh I wouldn't mind that, and I'm most certain that your father wouldn't mind either," Mrs. Ichijouji stated, "What's on your mind?"

"You'll find out tonight," Ken stated aloud as he silently pondered to himself, _'You'll find out a lot tonight…'  
_

* * *

"Hello, Motomiya residence, this is Davis speaking," Davis stated monotonously as he answered the phone for what felt like the seventh time in the last two hours. Seeing as everyone except Veemon was out doing errands for the day, he was left to answer calls.

"Hi Davis, how's it going," an all too familiar voice spoke up in excitement.

"Hey Noriko," Davis beamed a smile as he heard his friend's voice on the receiving end of the call, "Things are going alright for me…just a bit bored is all."

"Can you do me a favor," Noriko asked after a couple of seconds passed.

"Sure, anything you want," Davis retorted.

"Can you hold on for just a few minutes, I'll be right back," And with that statement, Noriko hung up her phone, leaving Davis quite confused.

"Hi Davis," Veemon entered the living room, stretching his arms out after waking up from his nap, "Who was that?"

"It was Noriko," Davis explained, "And she hung up on me and told me to wait a few minutes…I wonder what that could mean?"

Another minute passed as the duo heard the doorbell ring. Davis gave a small chuckle while shaking his head as he went to answer the door. He was not fazed at all when he saw Noriko standing outside.

"I figured that I would pay you a little visit," Noriko explained, "My parents are out doing last minute shopping and it was getting pretty boring back at my place."

"Welcome to my world…come on in," Davis instructed Noriko to head into his apartment and upon doing so she glanced down and quizzically looked at Veemon.

"Davis, is this your partner," Noriko asked Davis to which he responded with a head nod.

"Hi, my name is Veemon and you must be Noriko; Davis has told me a lot about you," Veemon walked over to the girl and gave an outstretched arm for her to shake.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Noriko bent down to accept Veemon's welcoming handshake.

"Well I'm glad to see that you two are getting along," Davis stated as he walked towards the two newly acquainted.

"Oh it's nothing," Noriko stated before asking, "Do you mind directing me towards your bathroom?"

"Oh sure," Davis said before telling Noriko where the bathroom was. After she left, Veemon turned to Davis with a grin upon his face.

"Umm…what's up," Davis decided to ask the rookie.

"This would be a perfect time to ask Noriko about tomorrow's get-together at Ken's," Veemon piped up.

Davis's face went blank at that statement. It slipped his mind that he still needed to ask Noriko if she would want to head to Ken's party. "I guess that now is a perfect time," Davis stated.

"It sure is, wonder what's she going to say," Veemon stated as he made his way towards the couch and hopped on it.

"I'm wondering the same thing," Davis replied as he also sat on the couch.

A few seconds of silence passed before footsteps were heard coming from behind the duo. "Alright, I'm good," Noriko stated as she found a spot on the couch between Davis and Veemon.

Veemon glanced over at Davis, who looked extremely anxious, and decided to break the ice. "Hey Noriko," the little dragon spoke up, "Davis wants to ask you something, is that right buddy?"

Davis slowly turned his head in Veemon's direction, giving him a crooked smile and a slow head nod. "Yes I did, Veemon," Davis retorted.

Turning his attention to Noriko, Davis quickly drew a breath in before asking, "My friend is having a get-together at his place tomorrow, which I know is Christmas Eve, and I was wondering if you would join me in going?"

Noriko thought about the question for a couple of seconds before responding, "Why not; my parents won't really mind. Christmas Eve is kind of a small thing at my place, whereas Christmas Day is solely spent with all of us."

"That sounds like fun," Veemon spoke up.

"It really is, considering the fact that I haven't spent much time with my parents lately," Noriko retorted.

"That's good and all," Davis added, "But the party is definitely tomorrow night so you don't have to worry."

"I'm glad to hear that; who is hosting it," Noriko asked.

"Ken's hosting it; he lives over in Tamachi," Veemon piped up.

"Ken?" Noriko asked quizzically, "Was that the guy that helped me out this past weekend?"

Thinking back to the event that occurred last Saturday when Noriko was enslaved and Ken came to help her out, Davis gave a head nod in response.

"I'm guessing that he wants me there to discuss what happened and what keeps on occurring," Noriko blankly stated.

"C'mon Noriko," Davis stated, "It's a good way to be introduced to everyone, and it's even better because you can explain your story to us and to see what we can do."

"I get what you're saying," Noriko explained, "You want me to join you guys in fighting, only in a different way."

"Exactly," Davis responded, pleased to hear that Noriko knows what's going down.

"Plus, tomorrow is just a time to have fun," Veemon couldn't help but to feel elated for the party, "You only have to tell your story once, and the rest of the night is devoted to having fun."

Noriko looked over at Veemon and grabbed him close for a hug. "Thanks Veemon," Noriko stated before turning to Davis, "And thanks for inviting me Davis."

"Not a problem; I figured that you would love to enjoy some of the festivities with us," Davis said.

"So," Noriko asked as she stood up from the couch while still holding Veemon, "What time is the party tomorrow?"

"I don't know, I'll let you know when Ken gets around telling me," Davis replied as he made a reach towards Veemon.

"Hey," Veemon griped up, not wanting to let go of Noriko, "Give me a few minutes here."

Noriko let out a chuckle as she secured Veemon in her arms as she cooed to him, "Oh, you're a funny little guy, aren't you?"

Davis couldn't help but to warmly smile at his two friends bonding with each other as though they've known each other all of their lives. _'I hope that she can get along with the rest of the gang tomorrow…'_ Davis silently pondered to himself.

* * *

Ken was very spaced out over the course of the few hours that he spent with his mother as they shopped for tomorrow's party. He couldn't help to ponder the thought that he would be opening up to his parents about the events that he has been in involving the Digital World. They made their way home as Ken bolted towards his bedroom, opening his door to find Wormmon covered up within Ken's blankets, snoozing the evening away.

"Hey buddy," Ken whispered as he gently shook Wormmon, "Time to get up."

Wormmon groaned as he felt his slumber coming to an end. "I'm up, are you happy," Wormmon droned out.

"Very," Ken stated before grabbing a hold of his partner. "Look, my mother is preparing dinner right now, so after that I'm going to have that talk with my parents. I'll call you when I need you, OK?"

Wormmon looked up at Ken before replying with a head nod.

Sure enough, after the family had dinner, Ken decided to have his talk. As he called his parents into the living room, his heart started to make its way into his throat. His fingers were twitching like mad and his mind was racing at the speed of light. _'Relax Ken, you're just telling your parents everything that has happened to you during the past couple of years…no pressure whatsoever…'_ Ken silently thought to himself, hoping that he could calm down just enough so that his parents didn't worry about him.

"So Ken," Mrs. Ichijouji spoke up after a couple seconds of silence passed, "What did you wanted to talk to us about?"

"Well, I really have no plan on how to explain what I am about to tell you guys," Ken responded.

"Well take your time son," Mr. Ichijouji responded, "When you are ready, we'll be here and listening."

'_Here goes nothing…'_ "Well," Ken started off while rubbing his neck with his hand, "What if I told you guys that I've been acting out in the past?"

Both parents gave each other curious looks before turning to Ken. "What do you mean 'acting out'," Mrs. Ichijouji asked.

"You know, the once shy and happy little child turns instantly into a genius and a tremendous athlete while giving you guys the cold shoulder," Ken responded.

"Well, now that you state it like that, there have been some changes in your personality over the years," Mr. Ichijouji spoke up.

"There's a reason behind all of the changes," Ken explained, "I have something known as a dark spore inside of me." Ken pointed to his neck to show where it is located. "This spore has powers that can alter anyone's personality and attitude. I received mine when I went to this place called the Digital World."

Both parents stared at Ken, wide eyed and leaning forward on the couch, "What place did you go to?" Mrs. Ichijouji asked, shock showing in her voice.

"It's a place that's not here," Ken explained while using hand gestures to signal around the room, "But it's somewhere else. It's a place that is made of data; everything is exactly the same here as it is there expect for that one little notion.

Anyway, back when I was little, I found something known as a digivice," Ken pulled out his D-3 from his pocket for his parents to see, "It was a different design back then, but it still brought me to the Digital World. There, I met my partner, who you'll meet in a minute, and we defeated a much stronger digimon. When he was defeated, his data changed into the spores, one of them being logged inside of me.

After I came back, I had a fight with Sam and I got a little upset at him and words were exchanged…" It was here that Ken had to stop for a simple breath and to hold in his emotions, which were on the borderline of letting go.

"…And you all know what happened to him." Ken finally stated, able to hold in his tears. Taking a few seconds to regain his composure, he continued on. "At the time, I felt unhappy, so I left here once again and, instead of transporting to the Digital World, I went to this strange dimension that's a part of the Digital World but has its own sector: the Dark Ocean. It was at this place, the place that I went to in order to escape the sadness inside of me that I got my D-3 and my whole world changed.

From there, I started to adapt to things quickly in order to become perfect like Sam was. I'll admit that I was a bit jealous because you guys always showed favoritism towards him over me. At the time I started to become cynical to everyone around me, even you guys, and thinking that you all were worthless.

I eventually found my place in the Digital World, where I crowned myself as the Digimon Emperor. Those couple of months in my life was nothing but agony. I thought that I could control every digimon there, but it took the help of my friends to see my wrongdoings. Yes, my friends helped steer myself into the right direction and, after my reign, I am helping out my group of friends, known as the DigiDestined, to prevent evil from harming the Digital World altogether."

Ken's parents sat on the couch in utter disbelief, soaking in the words that their son has just told them. Looking at their faces, Ken decided that it was time and headed towards his room. Opening the door, he saw Wormmon standing right there with a look of anxiety on his face.

"It's going to be OK," Ken whispered as he bent down and scooped his partner up. Turning his head in the living room, he saw his parents still in shock. "If I may, I'd like to introduce my partner to you," Ken stated.

"…Umm, sure, go ahead," Mr. Ichijouji stuttered out.

"Guys, this is Wormmon," Ken stated as he walked into the living room, holding the rookie in his arms.

"Hello there, Ken has told me a lot about you two," Wormmon spoke up, hoping that he could make a good impression.

"Oh my…" Mrs. Ichijouji whispered to herself, stunned as she saw the caterpillar like digimon that Ken was holding.

"So, this is your digimon, right," Mr. Ichijouji asked.

"I sure am," Wormmon spoke up, "I've been protecting your son since I've met him and, though we've had our ups and downs, our friendship couldn't be any better."

Ken gave a warm smile to his parents, hoping that they believed what he has told them. Deciding to make a valid point, he quickly explained, "The only reason that I told you guys is because there might be a time where digimon could appear here in the real world, and I didn't want you guys to fret about my absence."

Both parents gave Ken a reassuring head nod before stating, "That's alright, we fully believe you," Mrs. Ichijouji spoke first.

"It kind of makes sense now," Mr. Ichijouji added, "With everything that you have been going through and such."

"I can't thank you guys enough for letting me tell you this; it's been a burden on me for quite some time now," Ken happily stated and, looking down at Wormmon, gave a small head nod, showing him that he was alright and happy that his parents knew about the Digital World.

* * *

It was mid-afternoon on Christmas Eve. While many citizens were busy with last minute shopping or preparing for family gatherings, Matt was busy strumming up his guitar in preparation for his concert that night. Since many people were going to be busy, Matt's father decided to have his concert taped and showed live for others to see around the area.

"What in the world," Matt stopped his strumming as he heard his cell phone vibrating. Picking it up, he saw a message from Tai to meet him right outside the side door. Deciding to make this meeting quick, Matt hastily made his way outside…only to see Jun standing there with Tai's phone.

"Hey Matt, I'm ready for your big concert!" Jun exclaimed as she saw her crush standing outside, looking bewildered.

"Hi Jun," Matt stated in a calm manner, though he wanted to desperately let loose on the girl.

"By any chance do you have plans afterwards…I thought that you and I could go on a little stroll through downtown Odaiba and enjoy each other's company," Jun stated while bashing her eyes.

Matt sighed as he looked at the teenager before stating, "Look Jun, I don't know how else to say this but I'm already seeing someone else, sorry."

"Wait…really…" Jun disappointingly asked.

"Yeah; look, I'm thrilled and all that you come and support me and I'm glad you're a fan of my work and all, but I don't really see you as anything else." Matt was desperately trying his best to tell Jun in an easy manner that it wasn't going to work out.

After seeing the crushed look that developed on Jun's face, Matt decided to excuse himself to prepare himself for the concert. Having nothing else better to do, Jun was preparing to sulk back home until she heard some voices. Wanting to eavesdrop just a bit, she hid behind some bushes as someone was approaching the door.

"C'mon Sora, I don't think they're that bad," Biyomon was trying to reassure her partner that the cookies that she had made would be a good enough present.

"Thanks for your input and all, but I'm nervous that I might run into him…" Sora's sentence was cut off as she saw Tai and Agumon approaching her.

"Yum," Agumon couldn't help but to smell out the delicious aroma of cookies, "Those cookies sure smell good."

"Your point being," Biyomon asked.

As the two digimon continued their little talk, the teenagers were into a conversation of their own.

"So Sora," Tai stated, "If you aren't busy tonight, want to hang out or something?"

"Well, I'm kind of waiting for someone else afterwards," Sora sheepishly stating, looking down at the ground.

Tai's smiling expression turned into one of bitterness as he understood what Sora was trying to say. "I see…" Tai mustered out.

"Look Tai, I was going to let you know sooner, but I thought it would be in a different set-up than this," Sora explained to the heartbroken teen.

Tai let out a sigh before stating, "I understand; Matt makes you happy and that's all that matters."

"C'mon Sora," Biyomon pleaded, "You don't want to be late now, do you?"

"Well apparently you need to be somewhere so go right ahead," Tai stated with a smile on his face.

"Thanks Tai, I'll save you a seat tonight," Sora responded as her and Biyomon made their way into the concert hall.

Tai turned at the sound of noise coming from the bushes and was not surprised to see Jun, wearing an expression of pain.

"So I guess it didn't work out with Matt, huh," Tai asked as he retrieved his phone from the girl.

A small whimper was the only answer that Jun could give. Feeling sorry for the girl, Tai embraced the girl with a hug. "I know how you're feeling and I'm sorry to hear about what happened."

"Thanks Tai," Jun muttered out, returning the hug.

"C'mon, lets hurry so we can get some decent seats," Agumon pleaded to the two, "Plus, I'm freezing a bit."

Tai let out a small chuckle as he led Agumon and Jun towards the front of the concert hall, anxiously awaiting their friend's performance.

* * *

The clock chimed 7:00 at Ken's place and, not even two seconds after, the doorbell rang. Going over last minute preparations for the group and deciding that it was good enough, Ken answered the door to see his friends, along with their digimon, standing outside.

"Well you guys know when to come on time," Ken gave a heartfelt smile as he led the group inside his apartment.

"So Davis," TK stated, "Aren't you going to introduce us to your friend?"

Looking beside him to see Noriko, Davis nodded before stating, "Everyone, this is my friend Noriko."

"Hi everyone," Noriko gave a small wave, "I'm excited to finally meet all of you."

After introductions, the group moved into Ken's bedroom, where the children and the digimon all sat on the floor.

"I guess that I should tell you my story now, right?" Noriko decided to break the silence and ask that question. With everyone nodding their heads, Noriko continued on to explain what happened to her last week. She tried not to rush so that she could put in every detail, from Oikawa stalking her, to their run-in and Myotismon enslaving her, to when Ken and Davis freed her, and with her hearing voices, trying to lure her into somewhere else. Everyone around her was all focused on her story, trying to let her words sink in.

"Well, we are all glad that you shared your story with us," Yolei stated, trying to enthuse Noriko.

"I guess it needed to be done," Noriko answered back before asking, "What do you think those voices are inside of my head?"

"I have an idea, but I'd rather talk to you alone about that," Kari spoke out, wearing a look of concern for the poor teenager.

"Yeah, please do that; I don't want to see anyone in a bad mood right now," Davis added.

"Exactly…after all, it's my party, and it is Christmas Eve, so we should be celebrating," Ken added.

Noriko looked around her and smiled greatly before stating, "You guys are right; I shouldn't worry too much about those voices right now."

"Well, with that taken care of, food is out in the kitchen so please help yourselves," Ken instructed the group to do so, and eventually, everyone was enjoying themselves. Well, almost everyone…

* * *

"Hello Odaiba, I'm glad to see you all out here and enjoying yourselves. This last song goes out to all of you. The band wishes you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all!"

With that last statement, the Teenage Wolves began to play their last song of the night, their infamous _I Turn Around_.

"Wow, Matt has a great voice, way better than anything I've ever heard," Gabumon spotted while hiding under a raincoat.

"That's because it's the _**only**_ voice you've ever heard," Biyomon commented.

"Shhh, keep it down, I'm trying to listen," Agumon whined to the two rookies.

Sora and Tai exchanges laughs between the three bickering digimon. They too were enjoying their friends' concert, along with a few hundred other people. Needless to say, Jun was enjoying herself as well, whooping and hollering a couple rows above from Tai and Sora.

The song finally came to an end and, while everyone else dispersed back to their homes, Tai, Sora, and Jun, along with the three digimon, were all gathered up on stage, simple chit chatting occurring between all of them.

"So you're alright with me going out with Matt," Sora asked to both Tai and Jun.

"I'm OK with it; if Matt makes you happy then so be it," Tai stated.

"I'll be fine," Jun stated, though sounding a bit bitter.

"Hey guys," the trio turned around to see Matt with his guitar strapped on his back.

"Matt," Gabumon ran over to his partner and started to hug him, "You were incredible!"

"Thanks bud," Matt stated as he pat Gabumon on the head. "Thank you guys for coming out."

"Anything for you," Sora stated as she got up and hugged Matt while also giving him a small kiss.

"Well way to drive the nail in the coffin," Tai stated as the couple made their valid point.

Matt laughed a bit before stating to Tai, "So I'm guessing your plan with Jun didn't work out too well?"

Tai turned to Jun, and seeing her saddened face, stated, "Yeah, I guess that I wanted to ask Sora out and the only way was for Jun to ask you out."

"You know we've been going steady for a few months now," Sora commented.

"So I've been trying to win Matt over all this time for nothing," Jun bellowed out.

"Well, not quite," Matt stated as he walked over to Jun and knelt down, "You've shown that you're devoted to my band and my music, and we're actually starting to get a bit noticed thanks to you."

"Really…" Jun couldn't help but to ask.

"When record companies see you up in the audience cheering like you were tonight, they notice that someone likes the music. They target my music around people your age and see how they like it. Hopefully, if you keep giving me a good rep, I'll be signing big one day." Matt drew a breath and decided to thank Jun the only way possible, with a sincere hug. "Thanks again."

Jun was left speechless as Matt hugged her. "Umm…you're welcome," Jun stuttered out as she returned the hug.

After a few seconds, Matt relinquished his hold and stood up, walked towards Sora and stated to the two that they were running a tad late for their date. Bidding the group farewell, Matt and Sora – along with Biyomon and Gabumon – left.

"So," Tai stated as he looked at Jun, "I guess that that hug made everything worth it?"

"Are you kidding me," Jun stated bewilderedly, "Matt just hugged me…I mean, _**he hugged**_ _**me**_. I never thought that it would happen, but it did."

"I'm glad you're enjoying your moment and all," Agumon interrupted the crazed teenager, "But I'm starting to get hungry. Can we please go Tai?"

"In a minute," Tai stated to his partner before turning towards Jun, "If it's not much to ask, do you want to get something to eat. Just because I have a feeling that your family is gone, as well as mine, and we are going just as friends."

Jun looked at Tai and gave a smile and a head nod. "Sure, why not." With that, the trio left the concert hall.

* * *

Back in Tamachi, the group was enjoying themselves as a simple game of Go Fish was just getting started. However, one individual was furious at this game.

"Ugh," Yolei cried out, "Why is this game so dang hard?"

"Umm Yolei," TK pointed out, "You say 'Go Fish' when you don't have the card."

"…Wait, is _**that**_ what you do," Yolei asked and after receiving a head nod from TK, she blushed in embarrassment. "Sorry guys, I'm not really familiar with these games."

"It's alright, that's what makes it fun," Ken stated as he couldn't help but to let out a chuckle.

The rest of the group let out a small chuckle as they continued around. Though everyone seemed like they were having a good time, TK couldn't help but to look at Cody every now and again. _'It seems like he has a lot on his mind…'_ TK silently pondered, not knowing that the young boy _**did**_ have a lot on his mind at the moment. Nonetheless, TK shook it off as he continued on playing the game.

Meanwhile, over with the digimon, they were simply chatting away about Christmas and what they expect would happen tomorrow.

"I can't wait till tomorrow," Patamon exclaimed, "TK has told me numerous stories about Christmas day and each one sounded exhilarating!"

"Tell me about it, especially with all of those presents," Hawkmon pointed out, "Having three siblings must do a lot for Yolei's standard of a big Christmas."

"Well, presents are one thing," Armadillomon stated, "But the other thing is all the homemade food you get to eat. My mouth is already watering with excitement."

"I see that you guys are prepared for the festivities," Gatomon commented before standing up and excusing herself to get more food.

"You know something," Veemon stated as he rubbed his stomach, "I feel a bit hungry myself."

"Oh are you sure about that," Wormmon retorted in a love-struck voice.

Veemon blushed a bit as he quickly excused himself out into the kitchen, where he spotted Gatomon munching down on some shrimp.

"I was wondering when you were coming out," Gatomon questioned.

"I can see why," Veemon stated as he made his way towards the feline, "Listen, do you want to hang out tomorrow?"

Gatomon gave Veemon a quizzical expression before stating, "Tomorrow, as in on Christmas Day?"

"Yeah," Veemon explained, "Just for a few hours in the afternoon, after presents are opened and before our respective dinners."

"I could talk to Kari about heading over," Gatomon commented.

"Yeah, and I could see if Davis would mind hanging with Kari," Veemon spoke up.

"I think we both know the answer to that," Gatomon stated as she let out a chuckle.

"I guess we do," Veemon also chuckled at that question as the two decided to rejoin the others back in Ken's room, hoping that tomorrow would work out well for the both of them.

* * *

**Alright, that's the end. I know, kind of an awkward way to end the chapter, but I want to point some things out to you guys.**

**Do you notice no digimon attack during the concert? Yeah, that's right, there weren't any. So, no international digidestined for this story (sorry for all that were looking forward to this). I did this for a reason; the next three chapters will solely focus on the six children and their respective days of Christmas. Of course, if you were reading along, you could see what I was going with this.**

**I'll be writing out three chapters focusing on three pairs:  
-Cody and TK (noted at the end [kind of] of this chapter)  
-Yolei and Ken (noted last chapter)  
-Kari and Davis (noted at the end of this chapter)**

**Each pair will be dealing with something different. Whether it would be agnst, love, or a relationship, I will be writing out these chapters. Note that it will not be long chapters (5000+ words...at least I'm hoping not =/). Also, I start school up next week, so my updates will be coming once a week (at least I hope so =/). If anyone has any questions, drop a review or a PM and I can discuss with you. Until next time, IP is gone!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello everybody! IP is back with another chapter of my Revision, but before I let you guys read, I'd thought I'd share a few things with you:**

**First off, I deeply apologize for the delay of this chapter! College started up and the workload has been piling up, so it's going to be hard for me to update. Nevertheless, I'll continue to write this story out, as it will come to a completion sooner or later!**

**Next thing, please read my author's note from the last chapter so that you'd understand what I am doing in this chapter! This is the start of my three part Christmas Day chapters. Part One will start off with Cody and TK. Now this chapter, I believe, will be one of the better ones of the trilogy, seeing as how I needed to explain some things for them to start a small bond (not stating spoilers or anything)**

**Another thing, I'd like to thank a lot of you who have reviewed my story. In case anyone was wondering, I do make corrections to this fic, so if there are any mistakes, please let me know by review and I'll change it!**

**One last thing, the beginning introduction that talks about Christmas will be there for all three chapters; unless you want me to remove it, the introduction will be the same!**

**With all of this out of the way, please continue on to reading, reviewing, and enjoying this chapter!**

* * *

Christmas – a time of celebration, a time of happiness, and a time of being together. Upon early morning, each family gathers around either under the tree or at the kitchen table and enjoys each other's presence during this splendid day. Stories are shared, memories are remembered, and sometimes laughter fills the house. Out in the streets, warm embraces are given, along with a 'Merry Christmas' in the spirit of the holiday. While most Christmases are amazing for families, some Christmases for others are not that jubilant.

Old pains are sometimes refreshed, bad memories are sometimes relived, and what should be a festive day turns into one with an atmosphere almost like a funeral. Though families will do their best to smile their way through the day, they are screaming on the inside.

Watch as the six newest digidestined members from Odaiba celebrate their Christmases, each their own way with each of them dealing with problems. See if the terms celebration, happiness, and togetherness will truly ring out on their Christmases or will it be ruined by surprises that none of them are prepared for.

* * *

Lost within his own slumber, snuggled underneath his warm blankets…it couldn't get any better for TK. He was in one of his better sleeps, and interrupting him was not an option. He was glad that he could enjoy this slumber; it was the best one in months. Ever since he's been helping out in the Digital World, he hasn't had a time in where he could unwind and relax…well, until Christmas Day that is.

Apparently, someone didn't get the memo of his perfect tranquility of sleep as Patamon, who couldn't wait any longer for his partner to wake up, started to tickle his face with his bat wings.

"TK," Patamon whined out, "C'mon, it's time to wake up!"

TK surrendered to the torment that he was currently getting as he opened he eyes and gazed up to see Patamon near his face. "Well good morning Patamon, aren't I usually the one to wake _**you**_ up?"

Patamon returned his partner's question with a sincere smile as he stated, "Yep, but today's different…do you know why?"

TK raised one of his eyebrows in a dumbfounded look as he retorted, "Yes I know why, I was the person who told you what today was, remember?"

"Of course I remember TK, but I can't wait any longer for you to get up," Patamon said, giving his partner a pout.

TK gave a little chuckle at Patamon's current look and ruffled the top of his head, "Alright, you win." With that, TK rose out of his bed and stretched out. Looking over at his alarm clock, he was kind of surprised to see that it was 10 in the morning.

"Wow, I can't believe the amount of sleep I got…it was the best," TK bragged as he continued to stretch his arms out.

"Well I'm glad to see that you enjoyed your sleep and all, but can we please hurry it up a bit!" Patamon impatiently stated, starting to get a little bit tired of his partner's antics.

"You're just like a little kid on Christmas Day, aren't you?" TK asked as he decided to pick up his partner from his bed and embrace him with a hug. "Merry Christmas, Patamon."

"Merry Christmas, TK," Patamon stated right back, feeling comfortable in the embrace.

TK drew a small sigh out as he looked down at his partner, snuggling close to his body. _'I think it's time…'_ TK pondered silently at the notion of telling his mother about the Digital World.

"Hey Patamon," TK gently shook the bat-like critter in his arms as he looked upward at him, "Do you think it's a good idea if I tell my mom about what might happen here in the next few days?"

Patamon instantly knew what TK was talking about and gave a short nod before replying, "I think it's the best thing to do since you'll need to take leave whenever the Daemon Corps strike."

Smiling at his partner, TK shook his head in agreement to what Patamon had just said. Deciding not to waste any more time on the day, he tightly embraced Patamon and went out into the living room to explain to his mother what has been going down and what will be going down.

* * *

Only a few stories up from where TK's complex was located, Cody found himself not wanting to get up. In fact, he wished that he could stay in his bedroom until the pain inside of him had left. Last night, before the party, he found himself thinking of everything that has happened to him over the past few weeks. When it was all said and done, Cody couldn't feel cheerful about the holidays as he felt a sense of spite within himself.

"C'mon Cody, your mother and grandfather are probably worried sick, wondering why you aren't up yet," Armadillomon stated from the foot of Cody's bed.

Cody looked up from his sitting position on his bed – knees up to his chest while his head rested upon his knees – and gave a small sigh at his partner. "I wish I could, but I just can't bear to go out there with the amount of pain I'm suffering with."

Cody could feel his heart trembling inside of him, along with his upper body shaking, and his breathing becoming near mute and slowed down a bit in tempo.

"Geez buddy, you don't look so good," Armadillomon stated as he had his head cocked to one side in a state of confusion over his partner's current state.

What he'd been through over the past few weeks – a change of heart for Ken, meeting Oikawa who knew his father, reminiscing about his father – all caught up to him, and the anxiety was too much for the youngster. Having his head buried between his knees, Cody slowly let his emotions run out.

Hearing a few sniffles from his partner, Armadillomon was _**now **_concerned more than ever, as he has never seen Cody break down. Wanting to make things a bit better, the armadillo scurried over to Cody and placed his paw onto his partner's arm, rubbing it smoothly in hopes that it would soothe Cody.

"Everything's going to be alright," Armadillomon whispered to Cody.

Cody nudged the armadillo's paw off of his arm before looking up at him. Armadillomon was shocked to see the current state of Cody's face. Tears were streaming down his face, his eyes all red and puffed out.

"You don't understand and you never will understand," Cody croaked out in a low growl as he resumed his previous position.

Armadillomon took this statement to heart. It was true; he'd never really understand what Cody was, and still is, going through. The armadillo like digimon gave out a small whimper as he looked on at Cody, still crying his eyes out.

'_I have to do something to help Cody out, but what?'_ Armadillomon toyed with this thought for a bit until he came up with a plan. Seeing Cody's D-Terminal on his desk, the digimon darted over to the desk. After climbing up on the chair near the desk, the armadillo flipped open the device and was easily star-struck at the design.

'_What in the world…how am I supposed to work with _**this**_?' _Armadillomon was quickly scanning through the device, hoping that he finds the right function to use. After a couple of seconds, he found what he was looking for and, pushing the tiny button with one of his claws, gave a small sigh of relief when an empty e-mail message came on.

Looking back to see that Cody hasn't changed his position on the bed, the armadillo nodded his head, knowing that this was the right thing to do. Being extra careful so that he didn't break Cody's D-Terminal, Armadillomon began to type out a message to someone in particular; someone he thought could help Cody out…

* * *

Back at the Takaishi household, TK was patiently awaiting his mother's feedback from across the kitchen table. Patamon was perched on top of TK's head, also waiting for feedback.

"Let me see if I get this right," TK's mother, Nancy Takaishi, explained, "You're about to face an evil group of monsters that is going to terrorize Odaiba?"

"Yeah that's about it," TK answered back, wearing a confused look upon his face. Instead of pondering the simple notion, he asked his mother, "You're alright with me fighting monsters?"

"In a strange way, yes," Nancy slowly answered. "In fact, this reminds me of what happened a few years ago."

TK glanced over at Nancy, giving the woman a strange look. "You remember what happened back then?"

"Well yeah; it's not every day that your little boy gets taken away from you because he had to protect this world and the other world where Patamon is from…" Nancy started to choke up a bit as she vividly remembered the memory of TK being taken up and back into the Digital World, just a few days after they reunited.

TK's expression turned from confusion to dismantle once he heard Nancy's response. "Hey Mom," TK tried to calm his mother down a bit, "C'mon, you shouldn't worry about me anymore. I have Patamon with me, along with the rest of my friends and their digimon, to protect me."

"I know you do," Nancy responded, "But that doesn't mean I'm still going to worry about you. Promise me that'll you be safe when those evil monsters come here, please?"

"I promise," TK stated as he got up from his seat and, walking over to Nancy, bent down and gave her a reassuring hug.

TK broke apart from the hg when he heard a beeping noise going off in his bedroom. "That's my D-Terminal. I'll be right back."

With that, TK went to answer the message that he has gotten, leaving Nancy and Patamon out in the dining room alone.

"So," Nancy asked Patamon as the little digimon inched his way closer to the woman, "You're telling me that you can turn into an angel?"

"I sure can!" Patamon reinstated with a beaming smile.

Nancy wasn't buying into the bat like critter's statement as she still wore a confused look on her face. "It doesn't make sense though…a part hamster, part bat digimon that turns into an angel."

"I also become Pegasusmon, a flying horse," Patamon stated to Nancy, "Pretty nifty, eh?"

Nancy was about to answer when a confused 'what?' was heard from TK's room. Coming out of his room, TK was seen scratching his head with his free hand – the other one holding the D-Terminal – as he scanned the message he has just received.

"What's the matter, TK?" Patamon flew over and landed himself on top of TK's head to get a better look at the D-Terminal.

"Well to start off, it's a message from Cody…except it's not _**from **_Cody," TK explained.

"What does that even mean?" Patamon asked, confused at his partner's statement.

"It means that someone else must have written a message – poorly written, by the way – and sent it to me for some odd reason." TK finished his explanation and glanced upward at his digimon.

Patamon only had one answer to TK's solution. "How about Armadillomon; maybe he sent a message about Cody or something."

"Well I wish I could read it because it looks like a lot of jumbled letters put together and thrown into a message!" TK stated, clearly miffed off at this discovery and now puzzle.

"How about I try to read it?" Nancy asked her son, still sitting in the dining room.

TK glanced over at his mother. Seeing as she was a journalist, maybe she could help aid TK out in the debacle he currently was in. Giving a short head nod for approval, TK walked over to Nancy and handed her his D-Terminal. He eagerly watched as Nancy read and re-read the message over and over to try and grasp what it was saying.

After a few minutes of observing the message, Nancy set the D-Terminal down on the table and glanced at TK. "I think your friend needs help," Nancy finally stated.

"Is that what you got out of the message?" TK asked, to which his mother replied with a nod.

"Do you mind if I head there then?" TK requested, wearing a look of despair.

"I don't see why not; he's your friend and I think it would help if someone was there to support him in whatever time he is in right now," Nancy replied back with a smile upon her face.

"Thanks Mom," TK said as he grabbed Patamon from on top of his head and handed him over to Nancy. "I won't be long, I promise; after this, we'll get Christmas going." With that last statement, TK was outside in a matter of seconds.

Seeing as neither Nancy nor Patamon knew what time TK would be back, they both thought that simple talking would do them good. Glancing down at the digimon that she was holding, Nancy couldn't help but to ask Patamon, "How can _**you**_ turn into a flying horse?"

* * *

"Why isn't Cody out here yet?" Fumiko asked Chikara as both adults were sitting on the couch out in the living room, both waiting for Cody to come out of his room.

"Give him some time, Fumiko," Chikara politely stated, "I think he'll be out within a few minutes."

The two adults were surprised when they heard the doorbell ring. Curious to see who it was, Fumiko walked over and opened the door to see TK standing outside.

"Hello, Mrs. Hida," TK politely bowed to the mother before he continued on, "Is it alright if I speak to Cody?"

"I'm sorry to say, but I don't think now is a good time to bother him," Fumiko explained before she was interrupted by Chikara, who approached the talking companions.

"I don't see why not," Chikara insisted, "After all, maybe Cody's friend can help him enjoy this holiday a bit."

TK smiled at Chikara and gave a small bow. "Thank you; I promise I won't be too long." With that, he entered the house in search for Cody.

"He's in his bedroom and the door is closed," Mrs. Hida instructed TK how to find Cody. Listening to her directions, TK found the closed door and gave it a good knock.

TK could have sworn he heard sniffling from the other side of the door, but that thought was pushed to the back of his mind when the door opened a bit with Cody showing his face.

"Hey," TK spoke to the youngster.

"Hello," Cody said as he quickly ushered the older boy into his room.

TK glanced around the room to see Armadillomon sitting on the chair near the desk, Cody's D-Terminal close to him on the desk. "Thanks for coming," the armadillo gave a wave with his paw as he greeted TK.

"Yeah, it wasn't a problem," TK replied back.

"So, aren't you going to tell me why you're here?" TK turned to see Cody sitting on his bed. It was at this moment that TK could actually see Cody's face. The red, puffy eyes and dried up tears make TK wince just a bit.

"I'm going to guess that you need help…" TK started to explain before being interrupted by Cody.

"Help? You came over here just to help me!" Cody sounded outraged at the older boy's explanation.

"Yeah; the message that Armadillomon sent said that you needed some help," TK stated.

Cody glanced over at his partner with scornful eyes. "Why did you do that?" Cody bitterly asked.

"Be-Because I thought th-that you needed help…" Armadillomon stuttered out. The rookie digimon couldn't help but to stutter as he looked at Cody's facial expression.

"Well for your information, I don't need help," Cody stated to the two before stating in a low whisper, "I just need to be alone."

Fortunately, TK was close enough to hear Cody's whisper as he asked, "Why do you want to be alone, especially on a day like today?"

"He's been this way all morning," Armadillomon chimed in as he got off of the chair and made his way over to TK, "Locked up here and refusing to go out…all because of some pain that he's in…"

Armadillomon couldn't finish as he was cut off by Cody's outrageous statement, "And like I said before, I don't want to deal with my mother and grandfather with what I'm feeling right now!"

If that statement didn't shock TK, Cody's next action might of. Getting off of his bed, Cody made his way right in front of Armadillomon. Bending down so that he could be in eye contact with his partner, Cody bellowed out, "You have no right to complain about my state of being! You have never been through anything in your short life, and more importantly, you never _**will**_, so just do me a favor and shut up!"

TK slowly back away from the enraged young boy, stumped on how to help out with the scenario that's going on.

Armadillomon backed away from Cody, startled at what his partner just said. "I'm sorry Cody…" the armadillo tried his best to apologize, but Cody was not buying it.

"Don't apologize!" Cody sharply interjected. "Like I said before, I want to be left alone." Turning to TK, Cody stated, "Please get out before…"

"No!" TK rebutted Cody's statement. "I'm not leaving until you tell me what's going on!"

"Nothing is going on!" Cody yelled out harshly, trying to maintain his emotions in front of TK. "Please get out of here before I…before I…"

"Before I _**what**_ Cody; tell me, what are you going to do if I don't leave!" TK slowly made his way towards Cody, clearly ticked off with the youngster's temper.

Cody opened his mouth, but he was suddenly at a loss for words. His mouth was now quivering, his body was slowly shaking, and his vision began to blur a bit. Cody hung his head low, not wanting to let TK see him cry.

"I'm waiting for an answer," TK sternly retorted to the young boy.

Cody couldn't help himself. His body just gave in to all the emotions that were trying to escape from the young fellow. TK was surprised by Cody's next gesture, as he found the young boy running up to him and embracing him in a hug.

TK could feel Cody shaking, as he also felt tears running on his shirt. There was nothing more for TK to do except for him to return the gesture.

"Shhh…it's OK," TK bent down to Cody's height and returned the hug, rubbing his back while cooing to him. "Please calm down; we can talk about this is you want."

"I-I don't feel like ta-talking right now…" Cody stuttered out, doing his best to control himself.

"Alright then, just please calm yourself," TK whispered, still rubbing Cody's back in an attempt to ease the burden that the youngster surely felt.

Armadillomon, who was a couple of feet away from the duo, couldn't help but to crack a smile, even though he was on the verge of tears. _'I knew you could help out a bit…thanks TK.'_ Armadillomon silently thanked the older boy.

After a few minutes, Cody started to relax as he slowly returned to his old self. "Thanks for that," Cody whispered in a near hush tone.

"No problem," TK replied as the two broke away from the hug.

A couple of seconds passed before Cody retreated to his bed, sitting down on it cross-legged.

"Do you still want to talk?" TK asked.

"I guess," Cody whispered as his head was looking downward at his legs.

"Well I only have one real question: why are you acting like this?" TK asked.

Cody continued to have his head hung low and when he didn't respond to TK's question, the older boy drew out a sigh and walked over to the youngster. Sitting down on the bed, TK rubbed Cody's back, hoping that this would soothe the young boy just a bit.

"Why is this question so hard for you to answer?" TK asked before continuing, "Armadillomon and I want to help you out, but we can't do that unless you tell us what's going on."

After a few minutes of silence, Cody stated in a raspy whisper, "Why can't everything go back to normal?"

"What do you mean by normal?" TK was now confused at Cody's response.

"You don't want to be a digidestined anymore?" Armadillomon piped up as he made his way near the bed. Leaping onto the bed, the armadillo placed one of his paws upon Cody's shoulder and asked, "You don't want me around here anymore?"

Cody sniffed and looked up towards his partner as he stated, "No, I want you around…I _**need **_you around. I need _**everybody **_around."

"Why though?" TK questioned the boy as he decided to glance around the room. Suddenly, a picture caught his attention from a stand near Cody's bed. The picture was that of a young man dressed in a police uniform.

A memory suddenly came to TK as he remembered what Oikawa talked about last weekend at the meeting. Looking at the boy now with a face of despair, TK asked, "Is all of this because of what we talked about last weekend? Is this all about your father?"

Cody let out a small whimper and gave a short head nod, indicating his answer. TK sighed before asking, "Would you mind telling me what happened to your father?"

Cody looked over at TK and, breathing out a sigh, he stated, "My father was a police officer, and he had this special assignment to guard a government official. Someone was trying to kill the official and almost succeeded if it wasn't for my father…"

Cody took a few seconds to regain his composure as he felt himself breaking down. He continued on, "They'd both were getting off of the plane when the first shot went off; it barely missed the official. My father tried to hurry him inside of their awaited vehicle, just to get him to safety…then the second shot went off and my father stepped in front of the official and took the bullet. Pierced him right near the heart, and he was dead when he arrived at the hospital."

A couple seconds of silence filled the room before TK spoke up, "Sorry to hear about your father."

Cody tried his best not to cry, but failed as he started to sob while saying, "It's alright, I'm fine with it, I moved on. I was a little boy when it happened and I was confused seeing my father in a casket, but as I got older, I learned what happened."

TK wrapped his arm around Cody's back and placed his hand on his shoulder, rubbing it in pursuit to ease the young boy. Cody continued on, "It was hard to take in when I found out that Oikawa knew my father. I was elated because maybe he and I could talk about him and know what they thought of the Digital World. I just wish my father was here now so I can tell him about it…"

"C'mon, I know for a fact that your father would be happy to know about what you've been doing," TK said. "I know how you feel…"

"I don't think you do," Cody interrupted TK, "Do you really know how I feel? Do you know how much it hurts when you lose someone that you love and someone that you need?"

"Look, I've only told this story to Davis, but I think you should hear this right now," TK started off, "It was my first time in the Digital World, and I was young – younger than you, in fact – and we were going about our first foe, Devimon. Poor little Patamon was trying his best to digivolve for the first time, but he did. Angemon came to my side when I needed him the most and ended up destroying Devimon; however, he ended up using all of his energy and died as well. I was so scared because I didn't know that much about the Digital World and I remembered feeling so helpless because I couldn't do anything to help prevent Angemon from dying. But of course, Patamon was reborn and he helped me out through a lot then and now."

Cody looked at TK, who started to cry as well, and stated, "In a way, you know how I feel for just a split second. Patamon is still with you, but my father isn't with me."

"Physically he isn't with you, but don't you feel that he's watching over you?" TK asked.

"In a way, yes," Cody stated, "I know that he's with me, but it just sucks not seeing him face to face."

"Cody," Armadillomon spoke up from his laying positing on the bed, "Please tell me that you're feeling a bit better?"

Cody looked down at his partner and rubbed his head while stating with a reassuring smile, "I'm feeling better, thanks for asking."

TK hopped up from the bed and walked towards the bedroom door. "Well, I guess if you're alright, then I'm going to head home, if that's alright with you?"

Cody got off of his bed and walked towards TK and embraced him in a hug. "It is, thanks for all your help."

TK returned the gesture while stating, "Not a problem. If you want to talk, I'm here for you, as well as the rest of the team."

As they broke apart, TK reached for the doorknob, only to be interrupted by a knock. Opening the door, the two saw Fumiko and Chikara standing out in the hallway.

"Sorry to interrupt but it's just been a while since you guys were talking, and I was wondering if we were going to celebrate Christmas or not?" Fumiko stated with a bit of a chuckle.

"Celebrate all you want, Cody's fine and TK's about to leave," the group turned to see Armadillomon sitting on the floor. "Hi, I'm Armadillomon and it's a pleasure to meet you guys."

Looking up at his star-struck mother and grandfather, Cody gave a curious look while he stated, "I guess I have some explaining to do, huh?"

* * *

"That took a while," Nancy greeted TK as he walked through the front door.

"Sorry," TK apologized, "At least Cody's better."

"That's good; Patamon and I were just busy cooking breakfast," Nancy stated as the two made their way into the kitchen.

"Wait, Patamon can cook?" TK asked as he saw his partner looking over the pans of sausage and bacon.

Nancy let out a small laugh as she stated, "No, but he's been a great help."

"I think it's time to eat," Patamon stated as he flew into TK's arms. "The smell's getting to me and I'm starving."

TK felt the hollowness of his stomach before stating, "I agree, Patamon."

"How's Cody doing?" Patamon asked as TK made his way towards the table.

"He's doing a lot better since I went over and talked to him," TK explained, "I guess he's been dealing with some issues, but we talked and I think he's going to be just fine."

"I'm glad everything's alright and you're back so we can finally celebrate!" Patamon exclaimed, snuggling close to TK's face.

TK let out a laugh as Patamon kept on snuggling. TK grabbed Patamon and held him arm's length away before bringing him in for a hug. _'I think everything's going to be OK,'_ TK silently pondered, happy to be back with his family and finally enjoying the start of the holiday.

* * *

"So you're a digidestined and fighting off monsters, is this correct so far?" Fumiko asked Cody as the duo, along with Chikara and Armadillomon, sat on the floor out in the living room.

"Yes it is," Cody responded.

"And now there's going to be an invasion here and you guys need to stop that?" Chikara asked.

"Exactly," Armadillomon commented.

A few seconds of silence fell upon the group before Cody asked, "Most of all, you guys are alright with this occurring?"

"Well, we can't say no to you saving the Digital World and Odaiba," Fumiko stated.

"And you guys are fine with me staying here?" Armadillomon brought up.

"We'll just say that you're an exotic pet that can change into anything imaginable," Chikara responded with a bit of a chuckle.

Cody felt relieved that both his mother and grandfather accepted both Armadillomon and his fate with the digidestined.

"May I ask why you were locked up in your room all this time?" Fumiko brought the subject up.

"I was just thinking about Dad and how I missed him and such," Cody responded in a low hush.

Fumiko crawled over to Cody and gave him a hug while stating, "Oh Cody, I miss Hiroki as well, and I know it's tough considering what you've been going through and the thought of today…but it's going to be alright."

"I know it will be," Cody replied while returning his mother's gesture.

The two broke apart and Fumiko went to get breakfast ready, leaving Chikara to talk with his grandson.

"Cody," Chikara explained, "I know for a fact that your father would have been very proud of all that you've accomplished, including the Digital World."

"Thanks grandfather," Cody responded. He let out a small gasp as he remembered something else he wanted to state. "Grandpa, I met Oikawa last weekend."

"You did?" Chikara asked.

Cody gave a head nod before explaining what occurred to Oikawa and his intentions to help out the digidestined. "I'm glad to see that Oikawa wants to help out," Chikara stated.

"I'm glad he does as well," Cody replied.

Armadillomon let out a sigh before stating, "I'm sure hungry, and I've heard stories about the wonderful food that we have today. I want to eat!"

Cody let out a small shush at Armadillomon before stating, "Please be patient."

"I'm going to help your mother out so that we can speed things up a bit," Chikara mentioned before retreating to the kitchen.

"Hey Cody?" Armadillomon stated to his partner.

"Yes Armadillomon?" Cody responded back.

"I'm glad that you're alright," Armadillomon replied as he ran up and tackled Cody to the ground. Letting out a small chuckle, the armadillo stated to Cody, "Merry Christmas buddy!"

"Merry Christmas to you too, Armadillomon," Cody replied as he wrapped Armadillomon up in a hug. "Thanks for everything you've done for me."

"Not a problem," Armadillomon responded as he returned the gesture. As the two continued to lie on the ground, it seemed like what started out as a gloomy day turned out to be cheerful. _'Dad, I know you aren't here, but I want to say thanks for watching over me and have a good Christmas wherever you may be,'_ Cody silently thanked his father, knowing that he was with him and that he would support Cody throughout the days ahead.

* * *

**Alright, so there is the chapter for y'all! I've had this chapter thought up in my head way back when I started to write this fic and I'm glad that I finally got it out of me! After rewatching the scene between Cody and Chikara explaining Hiroki's death, they never went into full detail, so I'd though I would add something to that, as well as explain the whole Devimon/Angemon fight from the first series (seeing as if people who don't follow the series read 'Under One's Control,' and were confused about Davis and TK's little talk, this should help explain). Next chapter that will be up will be focusing on Ken and Yolei, and I hope that it doesn't take three and a half weeks to update =/ Until next time, this is Irish signing off! :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello everyone! What is this, you may ask? Why yes, this is an update after going four months without updating...life gets to ya, I guess.**

**Before I start this chapter, I would like to give some thanks to some authors who have reviewed this work from the first to the last updated chapter; you all are amazing and you have helped me improve as a writer!**

**So with that said, a big shout-out to Dominus Tenebrosus, darkin520, xXKiraUzumakiXx, MadameGiry25, Cleuq, Legendary Biologist, and persevera for accomplishing the above feast! These authors are all amazing! :)**

**Also, a shout-out to ReadingBlueWolf for being my 100th reviewer for this story! :) Who will be my 200th reviewer? We will get to that when it happens!**

**Alright, onto the chapter, which is Part 2 of 3 of the lovely Christmas Day even happening to the Digidestined! Hopefully everyone enjoys reading this chapter, and if there are any mistakes I've made, a simple review would be fantastic! So without further ado, onto the chapter; read, review, and enjoy! :)**

* * *

Christmas – a time of celebration, a time of happiness, and a time of being together. Upon early morning, each family gathers around either under the tree or at the kitchen table and enjoys each other's presence during this splendid day. Stories are shared, memories are remembered, and sometimes laughter fills the house. Out in the streets, warm embraces are given, along with a 'Merry Christmas' in the spirit of the holiday. While most Christmases are amazing for families, some Christmases for others are not that jubilant.

Old pains are sometimes refreshed, bad memories are sometimes relived, and what should be a festive day turns into one with an atmosphere almost like a funeral. Though families will do their best to smile their way through the day, they are screaming on the inside.

Watch as the six newest digidestined members from Odaiba celebrate their Christmases, each their own way with each of them dealing with problems. See if the terms celebration, happiness, and togetherness will truly ring out on their Christmases or will it be ruined by surprises that none of them are prepared for.

* * *

Having chills running through her body was not the way that Yolei wanted to wake up on Christmas. Feeling another cold breeze entering her bedroom, the teenager grumbled as she awoke from her slumber and rose from her bed.

It didn't take long for her to find the source of the problem; the window was left ajar. Shaking her head, she let out a sigh before saying, "How many times have we gone over this, Hawkmon?"

That was the only conclusion that Yolei drew up; her partner went out for a quick morning flight and forgot to close the window. She just hope that the avian would find his way back soon, seeing as it was around nine in the morning and she wanted to head over to Tamachi at a reasonable time.

Her train of thought was stopped when she heard a shriek from out in the living room. Opening the door, she found her sister, Chizuru, staring at the balcony.

"Is everything alright out here?" Yolei asked.

"Yolei…come over here and please tell me you know what **that** is!" Chizuru prompted.

Yolei made her way over to see what her sister meant. Her brown eyes widened as she saw Hawkmon standing on the porch.

'_Oh, for the love of Pete,'_ Yolei was a bit furious, but even more embarrassed. She knew in the back of her mind that this had to happen before the Daemon Corps got into Odaiba, and apparently it was going to be now.

"I'll be right back," and with that statement, Yolei ran into her bedroom and, returning with her slippers and coat on, marched towards the sliding glass door, opened it and then closed it shut.

"Ok, may I ask why you are out here specifically?" Yolei questioned her partner.

"I thought you would be up and you could have quickly let me in."

"Ok, here is another question; what did I say about leaving the window open?"

Hawkmon scoffed at the question and responded, "You said to not leave the window open because you didn't want to get too cold. I'm sorry, but I was in a bit of a rush this morning."

"You were in too much of a rush to close the window?"

"Yes, I was."

"Well, what in the world made you had to hurry up and go out and fly?"

Hawkmon became a bit nervous, and after scratching the back of his head, he replied, "I had to go."

"You had to go?" Yolei asked to which Hawkmon embarrassedly nodded.

It only took a few seconds for Yolei to get what Hawkmon was saying. She drew out a sigh before asking, "Remember the talk we had not too long ago?"

"Yolei, that talk was all but nonsense."

"No, it was not; I specifically told you that if you had an "emergency" and you had to go, you would have gone **in** the bathroom."

"Yeah, that part is nothing but garbage."

"How in the world is that garbage, Hawkmon? Everyone else's digimon seem to be adapting to using the restroom!"

"I'm a bird; birds don't use toilets and plus, there is no way you can have me sit on that with all the rest of you…having done your business!"

Yolei was about to speak when she heard a light knock coming from the door. Looking inside, she saw Chizuru, along with her parents and the rest of her siblings, shocked at the conversation she was currently having.

Hawkmon noticed this and walked up to the door and asked, "Can you guys hear us?"

The avian got his answer as Chizuru rapidly got away from the glass, a look of horror painted on her face.

At this point, all Yolei could do was put her face in her hands and sigh, knowing that there would be a long talk about this.

"I hope you're happy," Yolei muttered to her partner as she scooped him up in her arms and, opening the door, she stepped inside the apartment.

Silence filled the room as everyone was speechless due to the little scuffle that just occurred. It was Mrs. Inoue that broke the silence first; "Yolei, who is that with you?"

"I'm glad you asked that, Mother," Yolei responded as she set Hawkmon down on the ground, "Guys, this is Hawkmon, my digimon."

"What in the world is a 'digimon'?" Mantarou, Yolei's brother, asked.

Yolei let out a sigh before responding, "The term digimon is short for digital monster; you see, Hawkmon is not from around here."

"We can clearly see that, Yolei, but why is he here?" Momoe, Yolei's other sister, piped up.

"If I may," this time, it was Hawkmon to speak, "I originally come from a place known as the Digital World. It is a place much like where you humans reside in. To make a long story short, I am Yolei's partner, meaning that I protect her from any harm whenever it comes around."

"There is this big threat of digimon coming known as the Daemon Corps and they are apparently very strong," Yolei continued from where Hawkmon left off, "That is why Hawkmon is here; he needs to fight them off in order to save his world and Odaiba."

"When will this army of bad guys be coming into Odaiba?" Mr. Inoue inquired.

"We have no idea, but when they do get here, I need to be prepared to fight," Yolei answered, "You guys don't have to worry about me one bit; like Hawkmon said, he will be there to protect me. I know you all might find all of this wacky, but he's helped me out of a few jams in the past few months."

"I don't find this wacky one bit; startling, yes, but definitely not wacky," Mrs. Inoue spoke up.

Yolei cracked a bit of a smile at her mother's response before saying, "I'm glad to hear that you're alright about all of this."

"It's just going to take us some time to get use to Hawkmon being here," Chizuru said.

"Oh, you guys don't have to worry about a thing; he's a true gentleman," Yolei kneeled down and gave her partner a rub on his head.

"Are you so sure about that?" Mantarou asked.

"She **is** sure about it," Hawkmon replied sternly.

"Well we are just making sure since the little squabble you had not too long ago kind of left us wondering," Momoe said.

"Alright," Mr. Inoue spoke up, "Before things get too ugly around here, let's remember that it's Christmas today, and I plan on celebrating it sometime soon."

"Yes, let us please because I kind of need to be somewhere," Yolei started off, "If you guys don't mind, I want to visit one of my friends today for a couple hours."

"As long as you are back by supper, that is fine with us," Mrs. Inoue said before heading off to the kitchen to prepare some coffee, with her husband at her heels.

Looking at her three siblings, Yolei decided that this would be a perfect opportunity for them to get to know Hawkmon a bit more. "So, do you guys have anything else to address to my partner?"

A few seconds of silence passed before Chizuru asked, "You got any cool stories for us?"

Hawkmon looked up at Yolei, and after seeing her with a smile, sighed and stated, "I got a few."

* * *

Over at the Ichijouji's residence in Tamachi, Ken and his family, along with Wormmon, were enjoying one of, if not the best, festivity of Christmas – opening presents.

Tearing away at the Christmas-themed wrapping paper, Ken was elated when he saw his gift. "Thank you, guys," Ken said to his parents after looking at his brand new cashmere sweater.

"Oh, it was nothing sweetheart, your father and I just think you deserved a bit more of a wardrobe," Mrs. Ichijouji replied.

Ken chuckled, looking over at the clothing that he had already received.

After what seemed to have been a good thirty minutes of presents, the parents went off to cook breakfast while Ken and Wormmon staying behind in the living room.

"Wow, Ken, that Santa person must have given you a lot of gifts," Wormmon said, admiring what his partner received.

"How do you know about Santa?" Ken asked.

"Veemon told me all about him when he heard it from Davis; he's really big and full of joy and…" Wormmon's description of the lovable big man was cut short as a few beeps went off in Ken's pocket.

"My D-Terminal," Ken responded as he pulled it out and flipped it open, and after reading he asked his partner, "How would you feel if we hung out with Yolei for a few hours?"

"I thought she already asked you this question a few days ago?"

"You're right, she did, but now she wants to officially know if we want to."

"I think it would be fun, just ask your parents beforehand."

"I'm about to do that right now," Ken responded, and scooping up Wormmon, he headed off to the kitchen.

"Hey, Mom, Dad, my friend wanted to know if I could hang out with her for a while today, preferably after breakfast if that's alright with you? I'll be back before dinner, I promise."

Both parents glanced at each other before smiling and nodding. "That's alright with us, son," Mr. Ichijouji added.

"Thanks guys," Ken responded, and went off to his bedroom to get ready.

"Oh, I'm so excited!" Wormmon exclaimed as he watched his partner scramble around for particular clothing.

"I know; I've been thinking about this since she asked me the question," Ken responded as he stopped moving, "and I have a great idea where we can all head to."

"You do?"

"Oh, trust me, I do."

* * *

"Glad to see that you were conversing with the family; I think they are getting to know you a lot better."

Yolei had just entered her room with Hawkmon in tow and with presents and breakfast out of the way, the duo were now getting ready to head over to Tamachi to see Ken and Wormmon.

"I have to say that I enjoy this lovely holiday," Hawkmon said as he perched himself on top of Yolei's bed.

"Glad to hear that; by the way, in case I don't mention this later on, I never thought it would be funny to hear your partner tell some amazing humorous stories over our normal family conversation at breakfast until today."

Hawkmon slightly blushed at his partner's compliment, "Geez, I'm not sure whether to feel happy or embarrassed by that."

"More happy, definitely a better feeling to have," Yolei said as she started to pull out her dresser drawer. Letting out a quick gasp, and after examining her new crochet scarf that she just received, the teenager turned to her partner.

"Close your eyes for a moment please."

"For what specific reason?"

"It's a surprise and I think you will love it."

"It times like these when I wonder the most about humans and their surprises."

"Hawkmon, eyes, closed, pronto."

Letting out a sigh, and wanting to make his partner happy, the avian shielded his eyes with his wings. A couple seconds passed before he felt a slight tap.

"You can open them now."

Hawkmon obeyed and decided to see what the surprise was, and opening his eyes, he saw a slightly worn-out thin black scarf in Yolei's hands.

"I know it's not much, but think of this as a 'thank you' for everything you have done for me and will continue to do for me. Merry Christmas!"

Yolei took it upon herself to gently wrap the scarf around her partner's neck, being extra careful not to choke him. After a few seconds of silence, Hawkmon looked up at Yolei with a beaming smile upon his face.

"This means a lot, Yolei, thank you, and Merry Christmas to you as well."

Stretching his wings out towards his partner, Yolei embraced him in a hug. For a good minute, everything was silent, and the duo felt at peace with one another, as though they finally connected after many months of bumping heads trying to understand one another.

Once they broke apart, both got ready in a matter of minutes and were out the door heading to the nearest subway station that would take them to Tamachi.

* * *

Sitting in the hallway looking at the clock on the wall, Ken was looking rather nervous as he waiting with Wormmon for Yolei and Hawkmon to arrive at his place.

"You don't look too well; is everything alright?" The caterpillar asked from his seat on Ken's lap.

"Yeah, everything is great," Ken reassured his partner with a smile as he heard the doorbell ring. Getting up, he walked over and upon opening the door he saw the duo from Odaiba.

"Merry Christmas, Ken!" Yolei gleefully stated as she held Hawkmon in her arms.

"Merry Christmas to you too," Ken replied.

Not wanting to let things get awkward in a hurry, Ken asked upon first glance, "Is that a new scarf you have on?"

"Why yes it is; I think it matches my outfit, don't you think?" Yolei answered as she showed off her peach-colored scarf, which did go well with her light red sweater.

"It does," Ken responded as he looked down at his ensemble, seeing his array of dark blue clothing being near opposite of Yolei's light colored outfit.

"Mind if we get going, I kind of have to be back before dinner," Yolei didn't want to sound rude, but she did made a promise to her parents.

"Certainly," and with that, Ken walked out of his apartment with Wormmon in his hands and the small group made their way towards the elevator. After the ride, they were strolling along the streets of Tamachi, with Ken looking around every few seconds.

"So Ken, mind telling me where we are heading?" Yolei asked.

"Don't worry about it, it's a bit of a surprise," Ken answered while still on the lookout.

"Mhmm, well I'll just see how big of a surprise this is."

With the two teenagers exchanging words, their partners decided to do the same.

"Hey, Hawkmon, I like the scarf you have on," Wormmon decided to start off with a compliment.

"Oh, why thank you, Wormmon," Hawkmon responded, "Yolei gave it to me as a present."

"Did she really?"

"She did, and quite frankly it makes up for all the arguing we've been through."

"A long piece of fabric that keeps your neck warm was all it took for you guys to overlook months of quarrelling?"

"When you put it that way, it definitely does."

"Ooh…ok."

Hawkmon sensed that Wormmon was feeling a bit down with his last statement and asked, "Did Ken happen to give you anything yet?"

Wormmon solemnly shook his head.

"Well I don't think he forgot you or anything; maybe he's waiting until tonight to give you something."

"Maybe you're right Hawkmon, thanks," Wormmon said.

After a few minutes more of walking, Ken gasped as he laid eyes on what he was looking for.

"Yolei, follow me and please keep quiet."

Yolei obeyed her friend and she followed him through a few back alleys, eventually leading up to a closed road sign at the end of the last alley. At first glance, it didn't seem like anything important to Yolei, but as she got closer, she realized what she would be doing.

"Ken, please tell me that we are doing what I think we are doing?"

"Oh, we most certainly are."

Stepping out of the last back alley, Yolei laid her eyes on an enormous steep road, layered thick with snow.

"You decided to take me sledding?"

Ken gave Yolei a sure smile before responding, "Yeah. See, a long while back, the city claimed that this road was horrid for winter time, so they decided to close it during that holiday. Once word got around, almost every single kid would come here and spend hours sledding."

"Sounds like an amazing activity to do."

"It was, and it still is. I remember Sam bringing me here a couple times, and back then I was a bit scared, so I would always watch him enjoy his day. He always tried to make me sled down here, but I would always chicken out at the last minute. After he left, I told myself that I would get over my fears and come down here and do it."

Ken let out a chuckle before saying, "In fact, you get to be a witness of the first time that I sled down here."

Yolei was in some shock when she heard what Ken said. "Really, you haven't done it yet?"

"Well, not until right now."

Taking a few steps over to the alley opposite of the one that they came through, Ken fished out two sleds from behind a building.

"Are we allowed to take those sleds?"

"It's alright; people always donate sleds that they don't use anymore to here. There have to be over twenty sleds back there."

"And you decided to choose those two instead of looking around?"

"They are all the same design, Yolei, it's not like it would matter."

Yolei arched an eyebrow before marching over to the alley and came back wielding a red sled. "See, you didn't even know what my favorite color sled would be."

"Never knew it made that much importance to you."

"Are we going to keep talking or are we going to sled?"

Ken smiled as he set his sled down on the snow and sat down, with Yolei doing the same.

"Don't you guys want to get on, there's an extra one here," Yolei turned to talk to Hawkmon and Wormmon, both standing behind the teenagers.

"I think we'll pass for now," Hawkmon answered.

"Alright, suit yourselves," Ken said as he looked down at the few hills that await him.

"Ready?"

"Better now than never."

With that, the two pushed their sleds over the first steep drop. Shielding his eyes so that the snow wouldn't get into them, Ken couldn't tell if he was close to being done. After feeling a bit of flat surface, Ken opened his eyes to see that he was about to take another drop down a hill.

"Ken, this is totally amazing," Yolei only had enough time to say this as the two approached the second slope. However, instead of instantly dropping, and due to the speed that the sled gathered during the first hill, the sleds went airborne.

Ken's eyes, once closed during this ride, were now fully popping out. He didn't feel ground under his sled at all. All he felt was the air whipping at his face and some excess snow collected on the sled spraying his clothes. He had enough time to catch his breath and think to himself, _'What in the world did I get myself into…'_ before he dropped onto solid ground that was heading downhill.

A couple seconds elapsed before the duo reached flat ground, slowing down to a stop at the bottom.

Ken was too busy trying to calm his mind down, and trying to piece together what just happened, when Yolei sprinted over to Ken and tackled him into the snow.

"You did it, Ken! You finally did it!"

Hearing Yolei's elated voice was all it took for Ken to realize what he just did.

"Yolei…" Ken moaned out to the girl, "That…was…amazing…"

"Can we please do it again?"

"Yes, let us do it again…and again…and again."

Yolei got off of Ken and helped him to his feet, and collecting their sleds, they trenched their way up the hills.

Up at the top, their partners watched the ride take place and were surprised to say the least.

"Guess like we missed out, eh, buddy?" Hawkmon asked. A few seconds passed with silence before he turned to see Wormmon shivering a bit.

"Yeah, I-I guess that we did…" Wormmon responded, trying to move around and keep warm, but due to his short appendages, that plan wasn't helping at all.

"Here," Hawkmon walked over and picked up Wormmon.

"Is this better?" the avian asked, now holding the caterpillar.

"Much, much better."

The duo waited for a couple minutes until their partners returned, laughing about what just occurred and discussing what to do next.

"Awww, don't tell me that the snow got to you, bud," Ken cooed as he saw Wormmon being held by Hawkmon.

"I guess that it did."

"So are you all ready to go yet?"

After hearing Yolei's question, Hawkmon sighed before nodding. "Let's get this over with, I guess."

Waddling over to Ken's sled, he dropped Wormmon in it before heading over to Yolei's. Within a few seconds, their partners were on the sleds, each holding onto their partners tightly.

"You guys are going to enjoy this so much." Yolei said as the group went down for another run.

For the next few hours, the gang enjoyed the lovely sled-ridding day, much to the digimon's shock and Yolei's sheer, exciting screams during every single run. Though they were all fatigued after the last climb up the road and departing from the place, they eventually made their way back to Ken's apartment.

"Thanks again for a great time," Yolei said.

"I should be thanking **you** for asking me to hang out in the first place," Ken replied.

"When you put it that way, me thanking myself wouldn't be that bad."

Ken chuckled and embraced Yolei in a hug. "I mean it, thank you for today."

"Anytime, Ken, I'm always here if you want to hang," Yolei said and broke off the hug.

"Guess like I'll see you when I see you," Ken said as he stepped inside his apartment.

"Yeah, I guess so," Yolei replied as she and Hawkmon left the house towards the nearest subway.

* * *

"So I'm guessing that you had a fun time, eh?" Yolei asked Hawkmon as the two sat on the subway.

After a few seconds of not hearing a reply, Yolei said, "You know that nobody else is on right now; you can talk."

"Well, when you put it that way," Hawkmon stated, "I have to say that I did enjoy today's festivities…although your shrieking gave me quite a headache," the avian pointed out as he rubbed his head thoroughly.

"Yeah…sorry about that," Yolei said, "And I'm also sorry about your scarf getting drenched."

Hawkmon let out a small snicker as he looked down at the sopping piece of fabric lying in his wings. "It's alright; I've wiped out many times before."

"Yeah, but you never had a wipeout where you landed in freezing snow before."

"There's a first time for everything."

"I guess so," Yolei responded before continuing, "Look, I want to kind of apologize due to the fight we had this morning."

"It's quite alright, Yolei; I forgive you."

"Thanks; I know I can be a bit crazy sometimes, but I never really took who you were into account when it came to that."

Hawkmon decided to stop his partner from talking before she went on rambling. Plopping his head down on her leg, the avian said, "I understand, and I'm even gladder that you understand."

Yolei stroke her partners head smoothly before saying, "You know it's not that hard to learn…"

"Yolei…"

"Alright, alright, I'll stop pestering."

"Good," Hawkmon said, and after a couple of minutes of silence he spoke up. "Are you nervous?"

"What would I be nervous about?"

"The invasion of the Daemon Corps that will be taking place."

"Oh, for that; to tell you the truth, I'm not sure what I should think about that."

"I don't think you should fret too much about it."

"When you put it that way, I guess you're right."

Though Yolei responded the way she did to Hawkmon, she couldn't help but to think that something enormous would occur…something that would shape the outcome of the battle, and in the near future.

* * *

Ken and Wormmon were both relaxing in the teenager's bedroom after having supper, and each was still talking about the day that they had.

"Ken, I have to say that today was incredible; nice idea you had!"

"Thanks, Wormmon, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."

"Did I ever; I mean, it was such a rush that I've never experienced before, and you were so brave for conquering your fears."

"I know how that feels," Ken responded while he rummaged through his drawers. Upon opening one of them, he smiled and turned towards his partner.

"I got a bit of a surprise for you."

Wormmon's eyes lit up at what Ken stated. "Really, you do?"

"Yep, close your eyes and I'll show you."

"Ok," and with that, Wormmon shut his eyes for a brief moment before Ken told him that he can open. Upon first look, the caterpillar was a bit curious at the object that Ken was holding.

"It's a festivity hat, you know, for big parties and such. I made it especially for you." Ken put the hat on Wormmon's head, the latter giving his head a quick shake to see the thin, colorful streams wiggle back and forth, as well as hear a little bell ring from atop the hat.

"Oh, Ken, you shouldn't have. I absolutely love it!"

"I had a feeling you would," Ken said as he picked up Wormmon and hugged his partner tight, "Merry Christmas, Wormmon."

"Merry Christmas to you too, Ken."

With the embrace, everything felt at peace. That feeling only lasted for a couple seconds, for as Ken opened his eyes and looked out his balcony doors, a blur caught his vision, making him tense up a bit.

"Ken," Wormmon noticed his partner's worriedness immediately and asked, "What happened?"

"I think I just saw something Wormmon…I don't know why, but I think the invasion might be happening sooner than we know it."

* * *

**Ok, there you guys have it...I know, I kind of messed up on the improvement of the KenYako relationship, but there is still a lot of story to go, and for relationships to improve! Next chapter, the last of the trilogy, will be Davis and Kari (lovely VeeGato chapter upcoming! XD). Again, review, as it makes me point out more errors and helps me edit this chapter/improve as a writer! Pan is signing off for now, and hopefully I won't take four months to update! See y'all later and thanks again for reading! :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hi, everyone! Irish here bringing you part three of three of this Christmas trilogy! I'm keeping this introduction short because this chapter is long...and I mean long! So without further ado, read, review, and enjoy! :)**

* * *

Christmas – a time of celebration, a time of happiness, and a time of being together. Upon early morning, each family gathers around either under the tree or at the kitchen table and enjoys each other's presence during this splendid day. Stories are shared, memories are remembered, and sometimes laughter fills the house. Out in the streets, warm embraces are given, along with a 'Merry Christmas' in the spirit of the holiday. While most Christmases are amazing for families, some Christmases for others are not that jubilant.

Old pains are sometimes refreshed, bad memories are sometimes relived, and what should be a festive day turns into one with an atmosphere almost like a funeral. Though families will do their best to smile their way through the day, they are screaming on the inside.

Watch as the six newest digidestined members from Odaiba celebrate their Christmases, each their own way with each of them dealing with problems. See if the terms celebration, happiness, and togetherness will truly ring out on their Christmases or will it be ruined by surprises that none of them are prepared for.

* * *

The time was currently eight in the morning, and the sunlight was starting to rise above Odaiba and peak its way through some of the city's skyscrapers. The only thing that could be heard in the Motomiya's household was the pitter-patter of footsteps scampering about. Opening one of the side doors, the critter found its prey, sound asleep on his bed.

'_Oh boy, I can't wait to see Davis' reaction when he sees me!' _Wasting no time, Veemon slowly closed the door behind him after entering the bedroom, and then proceeded to sprint towards Davis' bed.

Davis was startled to say the least as he felt someone jump on his bed. Bolting upright, Davis looked around his bed and found the source of his 'alarm clock.'

"Merry Christmas, Davis!" The dragon said with a scent of happiness escaping his lips.

Davis couldn't help but to stifle out a chuckle as he saw his partner's apparel. Apparently the little digimon was really into the holiday spirit – so much that he decided to dress up like Santa Claus.

"Don't you like my outfit?" Veemon asked before turning around. "See, I even made room in the pants for my tail to slide in; really comfy."

"Veemon…oh buddy, you never cease to amaze me."

"I know; I can't help myself sometimes."

"Oh, come here you." Davis grabbed his partner and embraced him in a hug. "Merry Christmas, you little rascal!"

Veemon chuckled at Davis' remark. "Glad you enjoying everything, but mind if I ask you something?"

"Sure, what's it about?"

"Well, I was wondering if we could hang out after opening presents and such…" Veemon fidgeted with the belt on his costume before continuing, "With Kari and Gatomon."

Davis shrugged and answered, "I don't see why not; plus, I think they'd enjoy our company."

Veemon smiled at the answer. "Great, why don't you go call them now?"

"…Vee, it's eight in the morning."

"Yeah, and?"

"…They're probably still asleep and I don't want to wake them up."

"What's the problem with that; I woke you up, didn't I?"

Davis sighed. "What you did was totally different."

"Fine, we can wait for a little while," Veemon responded. _'Or I'll just wait for a better time to ask myself.'_

The two were in silence before Davis had a question that was on his mind since he saw Veemon in his outfit. "Where in the world did you get the outfit from?"

Veemon was about to answer when the door suddenly crept open and Jun popped into the room, holding in her hands a bare-naked Santa.

"Do you mind explaining what happened with this?" Jun asked her brother before glancing at Veemon in the costume.

"Oh my goodness, why are you so adorable!" Jun shrieked at the sight of Veemon and ran over and picked the digimon up.

"Merry Christmas, Jun!" Veemon said while being held by the girl.

"Merry Christmas to you too, you little cutie."

"Did you just call my partner cute?" Davis asked.

"Oh Davis, you can't help it when you look at him."

Davis released a long sigh before lying back down on his bed, seemingly a bit annoyed at his older sister coddling his partner.

"Mom and Dad are up in case you were wondering, so we can get this holiday started."

Davis heard her sister's statement and sat up in his bed. "I'll be out in a few; can I please have Veemon back?"

"If you say so," Jun replied before setting the dragon down on the ground before retreating out into the living room.

"Let me get myself a bit presented before we head out there," Davis told Veemon before heading into his bathroom.

While Davis was busy doing that, Veemon glanced over at the top of the nightstand to see his partner's D-Terminal. _'Well, I guess now is better than never,' _the digimon thought. Scurrying his way over, the dragon-like creature seized the device, flipped it open, and started typing a message as quickly as possible. Just as he hit "send" and closed the device up, Davis was ready to go.

"I still cannot believe you wore that outfit."

"Oh c'mon, Davis, you need to be in a bit more of the Christmas holiday spirit, like this." And without hearing his partner's response, Veemon raced out into the living room, flung open the balcony's sliding door, and ran to the railing.

Davis came out of his room a couple seconds later, completely embarrassed. The rest of the family watched in shock as they heard the digimon yell out "Merry Christmas!" to the citizens of Odaiba either walking along the sidewalk down below or to the families wanting to sleep in, but instead are now awake due to the dragon's cheerful attitude.

"Remember when I said he wasn't a handful?"

The family responded with a head nod.

"Good, because I just found out how much of a handful he can be."

* * *

"C'mon Kari, it's time to wake up."

The teenager's annoyance was starting to grow due to Tai trying to wake her for the past few minutes. Sure, it was Christmas, but why on Earth would she want to be up early, especially when she hasn't had a time of relaxation for a while?

Eventually, she gave in. With a sigh, Kari threw her blankets off her body, tossing a glare towards her older brother.

"Are you happy now?"

Tai nodded. "I quite am; thank you for asking." Reaching into his pajama pants pocket, he pulled out Kari's D-Terminal. "I'm pretty positive this is a message for you."

"Umm, thanks," the girl responded as Tai left for the restroom. Kari really didn't know how to respond to Tai. It wasn't as if she was annoyed at Tai for hearing in on her device; it was the fact that she received a message at 8:30 in the morning on Christmas nonetheless.

Flipping the D-Terminal open, Kari read the message over a few times. Knowing who the message really belong to, she turned to see Gatomon still sleeping on the foot of her bed – only now covered in most of Kari's blankets.

"Hey, wake up; I got a message for you," Kari stated while shaking the feline awake. After a couple seconds of freeing herself from the colossal mess that was on top of her, Gatomon asked, "What is it?"

"Veemon wants to know if we hang over at Davis' place today; I was going to say alright, but I want to make sure it's fine with you."

Gatomon was a bit startled at Kari's statement. Keeping her cool, she stated, "Its fine."

"What's fine all of a sudden?" Tai asked as he emerged from the restroom.

"Oh, Gatomon and I were going to hang with Davis this afternoon; I wonder if Mom and Dad would mind?"

"I don't think they would mind, but I'm not them…"

Kari could hear the unpleasantness within Tai's reply. "Do you mind?"

"No offense, Kari, but I do kind of mind."

"Why are you so down all of a sudden, Tai?" Gatomon asked, still on Kari's bed.

Tai sighed before answering, "I just don't want Kari getting the wrong idea…"

"Tai, he's my friend and nothing more; he knows it and he is fine with it. He's been fine with it for the past couple months now."

Kari never meant to interrupt Tai, but she couldn't help it. It was true; Davis and Kari were just really good friends. Kari could sense that there was obviously something else that Tai was annoyed at. Kari walked over to Tai and asked, "What's really bothering you?"

"Kari, how can you ask me such a question when you know what's about to happen."

It took Kari a couple seconds to register what Tai was talking about, and when she did, her eyes lit up. "Are you telling me they might attack today?"

"They won't attack today, but they will attack sometime soon…and I don't think your group is ready."

Kari was a bit taken back by this statement. "What do you mean ready?"

"Kari, don't listen to him," Gatomon spoke up, leaping off the bed and standing on the floor, her two front paws crossed over her chest in annoyance, "How can you say that we aren't ready to fight the Daemon Corps? Besides, we're all a team in this, remember?"

Tai sighed before kneeling down to Gatomon's level, "I wasn't referring to the whole group; I was referring to the new guys. Don't worry, I know Kari and TK are prepared to fight; it's just the others that I'm worried about."

"How do you know that they aren't ready to fight?" Kari asked.

"How are you so certain that they are?"

Kari bit her lip in disbelief, obviously showing that she didn't know the answer.

"See, this is what I mean," Tai continued on, "Sure, those guys destroyed a few dark rings and control spires, and they even overthrew the Emperor, but it was nothing like what we had to deal with back in the day."

Kari remained silent listening to Tai's little speech. "We had to deal with Myotismon, as well as the Dark Masters and Apocalymon, and we had to kill them. Do you honestly think that your group is more prepared to kill a digimon?"

"Tai's right, Kari," Gatomon said, "We had it much harder back then than we do now. I honestly don't think they are ready."

"What's the matter with you guys?!" Kari blurted out, finally ready to talk. "Okay, so my group might not be ready to go and defeat digimon, but guess what, they are going to have to suck it up and deal with it. I had to do it back then, and yeah, I wasn't prepared to do so, but I did it to save here and the Digital World!"

"Kari," Tai spoke in a softer tone, "I understand what you are saying, but I just don't think they know what they have to deal with. Besides, nobody can screw up now; if you do, people are going to die, and look where the blame will be put on."

Kari shook her head, tired of discussing such a topic on Christmas Day. Her D-Terminal still in hand, she made her way towards the sliding doors leading out to the balcony. "I'm going to clear my head for a bit. I'll be in shortly." And with that, she opened and closed the door with some force.

Tai and Gatomon exchanged glances at each other, each pondering over what just occurred. The feline finally spoke up, "I think you did the right thing, Tai. I don't think the others are ready to kill digimon yet."

"Thanks, it just scares me because I don't want anyone to get hurt."

The two was taken aback when they heard mumbling from the top bunk. Looking up, they both saw Agumon stirring awake from his slumber.

"Morning you two," the dinosaur said with a bright smile, "What did I miss?"

"You slept through all of the conversation that just went on?" Tai asked in disbelief.

"…Really?" Agumon scratched the back of his head, slightly confused. "Where's Kari?"

Gatomon sighed before answering, "Don't worry about it; just get ready for today."

"Okay, but first…" Agumon raced down the ladder and leapt onto Tai's waist. "Merry Christmas, Tai!"

"Merry Christmas to you too, Agumon," Tai replied.

"Merry Christmas to you both," Gatomon said.

Tai gave a smile towards the feline's direction as a sign of thanks. The attacks would have to wait, as today was all about celebrating and sharing love to everyone around.

* * *

"You told them what?!"

"Davis, c'mon, you said that it was fine to invite them over to hang out?"

"I said it would be fine to hang with them, I never specified that they could come over here to hang."

Davis and Veemon were currently bickering over Veemon's sent message. Kari responded that she and Gatomon would be over around three, and seeing that it was 2:30, they had some work to do.

"You did tell your parents about this, right?"

Davis sighed before answering, "I did and they are fine with it now, but I know they'll be upset when they visit my relatives who are in town from Setagaya."

"Wait, you have other relatives?"

"Yes, Veemon, I do."

"Well, why haven't I met them yet?"

Davis turned his attention to the dragon, still wearing his Santa outfit. "There are a good number of reasons why you haven't met them."

"Really, mind naming some?"

"Veemon, look; we don't have much time. We need to clean my room to make sure it's fine and presentable, as well as the rest of the house…so much to do and so little time to do it!"

"Sounds like you could use a little help," Davis turned to see Jun standing outside his bedroom door.

"You don't mind?"

"Why would I? It's obvious that you're stressing out about this hangout, and plus the living room and kitchen are not that bad to clean." Jun skimmed the bedroom quickly, and upon seeing the clutters of clothes and garbage on the floor, she continued, "The bedroom, however, could use some work."

"I can clearly see that, sis."

"Hey, you want my help or not?"

"Yes, fine, I apologize, you accept, you clean, I clean, I'll be happy. Now go."

Jun sighed before looking down at Veemon. "I'm sorry you have to deal with him most of the day…don't worry, in a short amount of time, you'll find ways to annoy him to."

"Thanks, but apparently I already **do** that," Veemon said, looking back at his partner with a stern look upon his face.

Davis sighed. "Okay, I apologize to the both of you guys for being a little stressed out. Now, I have company coming over in twenty minutes, and I would very much appreciate it if I can get some sort of help from the both of you."

Both Veemon and Jun shook their heads in agreement, and off they went to help clean up the apartment. It only took a short amount of time before all the dishes were washed, the wrapping paper discarded, and Davis's room looking more like a proper bedroom.

Davis was currently now standing at the front door, saying bye to his parents.

"Please behave, Davis; I don't want to hear about anything bad happening while we were away," Mr. Motomiya stated.

"We mean it," Mrs. Motomiya chimed in, "It's going to be hard to explain to the family why you aren't coming."

"I think they'll be fine; plus, I can come visit them whenever I want. It's not like they live that far away."

"Relax guys, he'll be fine," Jun came up from behind Davis.

The parents left it at that, and after a few quick hugs and kisses, Davis was left alone with only a few minutes to spare.

"Everything looks great, doesn't it Davis?" Veemon came out of his partner's bedroom, looking now at the clean apartment.

"Yeah, it really does."

The two fell silent for a couple minutes, waiting for their friends to arrive. Not much time passed when then heard the doorbell ring, and upon answering the door, Davis was delighted to see Kari with Gatomon in her arms.

"Hey, Kari and Gatomon; Merry Christmas to you both!"

"Thanks, Davis; Merry Christmas to you too," Kari replied as she entered the apartment.

"Kari! Merry Christmas!" Veemon exclaimed as he ran over to the girl and hugged her leg.

"Veemon, why are you wearing that outfit?" Kari stifled a laugh out at the sight of the dragon.

"I've been asking him that all morning, but apparently, his only answer was for the Christmas cheer."

"I think it looks lovely," Kari said while setting Gatomon down on the floor. "So what do you guys want to do?"

It was then that Davis was caught off-guard. He had been busy cleaning up and preparing his apartment that he didn't have time to think what the group could do.

"Well if you guys don't mind, Veemon and I would like to be alone for a while," Gatomon stated.

"Oh, that's fine; you can use my room," Davis said, and the two left off in that direction.

"Okay, well with that covered, I say some good old Christmas movies should do us the trick," Kari said, "Unless you have anything else in mind."

"No, that sounds like a good idea," Davis said as he went to rummage through his collection of VCR's in search of Christmas movies. After a few minutes, he came back with only two.

"So apparently these are the only one that I could find," Davis said as he held a copy of _A Christmas Story _and _Home Alone _in his hands.

"Go with Home Alone; I've already seen the other one last night."

"Really; it was on last night?"

"Davis, they play that movie for twenty-four hours straight."

"…Wait, really?"

Kari chuckled a bit before saying, "This is going to be an interesting hangout."

* * *

As soon as the two digimon reached Davis' room and shut the door, Gatomon gave a good look at Veemon in his outfit before bursting out into laughter.

"What's so funny?"

At this question, Gatomon only laughed harder. "Please…don't say anymore, I think I'm going to burst!"

"Well I don't want to happen now, so I'll wait a bit."

Veemon walked over to Davis' bed and plopped himself on it, waiting for Gatomon to regain herself. After a few more minutes of laughing, Gatomon joined him on the bed.

"I'm so glad you like my outfit; I wore it especially for you."

Gatomon let out another chuckle at her friend's statement. "Really, you went through all this trouble just for me?"

Veemon nodded and Gatomon slid over towards the dragon and hugged him. "You are so amazing."

Veemon returned the hug while saying, "I know, I can't help myself."

"Oh, Veemon," Gatomon giggled as she broke the hug and laid her head down upon Veemon's legs.

The two sat in silence for a few minutes, each one thinking of what to say. Finally, Veemon spoke up. "I don't know about you, but I'm a little nervous about the attack."

"Why would you say that?"

"I never killed a digimon before, and I always wonder what it felt like. I always wondered if the happiness you gain out of destroying an evil one would overshadow the shock."

"I understand what you're saying, Vee," Gatomon explained as she was now sitting up on the bed, "In some way, there is something inside of you that wants to make sure you do everything you can in order to protect the people you care about the most…even if you have to kill."

"I don't understand how people don't feel bad about it afterwards," Veemon stated.

"Don't try to think like that; if you do, it'll only be then that you don't want to fight."

"Who says I wasn't ready to fight? I'm as ready as I can be; it's just that I don't know if I could actually kill a digimon. Someone else could do that; sure they'll get most of the credit, but I won't have to live with the burden."

Gatomon sighed as she grasped Veemon's arm pretty tightly, causing the dragon to look in her direction. "Veemon, if you let those thoughts get into your head, you will end up regretting it."

"Gatomon, you realize you are talking to someone who was ordered to kill you guys when I was enslaved? Back then, I didn't give it a second thought because it was just pure control by the Emperor." He suddenly looked down, lost in what to say. "…I don't know what I would have done if I would have killed you all; I guess that's the reason why I'm so nervous…"

Veemon was suddenly interrupted by a hard slap to the cheek. It took him a few seconds to look at the accuser, who was giving him a spiteful look.

"Enough with that talk, Veemon." To his surprise, Gatomon's tone was soft yet harsh, as the dragon insisted that she would yell at him.

"I don't want to hear you say another word about that time. That was all in the past, and while it's good to never forget it, it's also bad to bring it up, especially with someone who cares for you a whole lot. You will do great during this battle because you want everyone to be safe; that's in your nature, Vee. You can't stand to see anyone die, and I know you won't give up until everything is safe. Please, for my sake, don't ever say anything as negative as you just said ever again."

Veemon took a couple seconds to let Gatomon's words sink in. He raised his hand to feel his cheek, which was still in pain. He then spoke up, "I'm sorry, Gatomon. I guess you're right."

"I know I'm right," Gatomon said as she leaned over to her friend and gave him a hug, "Besides, I will not let anyone harm you. If anyone wants to, they have a fight with Angewomon to deal with."

Veemon returned the favor while stating, "I forgot about that; so please, tell me, is Angewomon everything that I've heard from the others?"

"Ooh, it's everything and a whole lot more," Gatomon stated as they broke apart.

"Great; I can't wait to see her in action!"

Gatomon gave Veemon a smile at that statement, happy to know that she can go to her Ultimate form again.

After a couple seconds of silence, Gatomon spoke up. "I think now would be a good time to tell Davis and Kari about us."

"Really, why now?"

"Vee, this is something that needs to be done. I want them to know what has been going on with us throughout the past few months; how we've been developing into a couple."

Veemon sighed, "Well, I guess if you want to do it, we can do it."

"Glad to see you agree with me; c'mon, we're doing it now."

"Wait, now?! But we haven't had that much time to talk!"

"Vee, after all of this fighting is done, we can have all the time in the world to talk," Gatomon said as she made her way towards the door.

Veemon made his way towards to door as well before asking, "Do you know what those two have been up to all this time?"

Gatomon thought for a moment before answering, "I have the slightest clue." And with that, the two left the bedroom.

* * *

Out in the living room, the two teenagers were watching their movie of choice. Deciding that it would be more interesting to strike up a conversation with Kari instead of watching a movie he's seen loads of times, Davis spoke up.

"So what's your family up to today?"

It took Kari a couple seconds to realize that Davis asked her a question. She proceeded to turn her head in his direction while answering, "Oh, not that much, just staying at home."

"They don't mind that you're here, right?"

"Well, my parents don't mind; Tai on the other hand…"

"Well, does he?"

Kari was fidgeting with her fingers, trying to avoid answering Davis's question.

"Kari, is there something you want to tell me?"

Finally, Kari sighed as she answered, "Tai doesn't think you'll be ready for the attack."

It took Davis a few seconds to compute what Kari said before he spoke up. "What do you mean he doesn't think I'm ready?"

"Davis, be honest with me; are you ready to kill a digimon?"

"Well of course, why wouldn't I be?"

"It's just that these are the first digimon that you new guys are going to be killing, and he thought that you wouldn't be prepared to handle it."

Davis sighed before replying, "Kari, I'm ready to fight. I have been ready ever since I've heard what was going to happen. Every battle we've been in, I've always given my best because a leader has to do that, right?"

Kari's facial expression turned into one of confusion upon hearing Davis's statement. "Davis, no offense, but I don't think you've done your part as a leader."

At this, Davis was caught off-guard. How could Kari see that he wasn't the perfect leader? He retorted, "What makes you say that?!"

"Look at what you've done over the past few weeks; you've been avoiding Ken at all costs, you spent a good chunk of your time studying during finals, and then you decide to run into Noriko and tell her everything about us. It's not just me; it's mostly Tai that think this as well."

Kari couldn't lie about that, seeing as her brother did continue to ramble on how bad of a leader Davis was turning out to be **after** their little tidbit this morning.

"Well you know what, I'm going to prove him wrong. I'm going to show that I deserve to be the leader of this team! Okay, so maybe I haven't forgiven Ken yet, and maybe telling Noriko everything was a bad choice on my part as well, but everything worked itself out in the end, didn't it?"

Kari stood up from the couch after hearing Davis's outburst and looked down at the boy before saying, "It doesn't matter, Davis. If you are going to be an efficient team leader, you need to be with all of us. Plus, I know you haven't truly forgiven Ken yet…and I think that's childish on your part."

Davis now looked irritated at hearing what Kari had to say. Standing up, he faced Kari and said, "So what if I'm acting childish because I have a good reason to."

"Tell me."

At Kari's demand, Davis was about to tell her why until he was interrupted by the patter of footsteps approaching the teenagers.

"Sorry if we're interrupting you guys, but we need to tell you something urgent," Veemon explained with Gatomon close to him.

Davis looked at his partner, then at Kari, waiting for her approval. A nod of the head was good enough for the boy. "Sure, what is it?" He asked as the teenagers made their way back to the couch.

"I don't know how better to tell you this, so I'll come out and say it. Gatomon and I, we…well, umm…we kind of…"

Gatomon looked a bit embarrassed seeing her friend stuttering out their confession. Suddenly, she couldn't take anymore and decided to blurt out, "Veemon and I are real close friends!"

"That's all you wanted to tell us?" Kari asked. "No offense, but I saw that a while ago."

"It's more than just 'close friends;' we're kind of an item now if you catch my drift."

It took the teens a couple seconds to understand what the feline said. After that, Davis got up from the couch and went to hug Veemon.

"Oh buddy, I knew you two would be together! I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks, Davis, but can you please lighten up, I need to breathe!"

Seeing Davis's happy state didn't make Kari rejoice; in fact, it didn't really make her smile. Gatomon saw her partner looking at her with a disorderly look upon her face.

"Kari…did you hear what I said?" The feline asked, her voice shaking.

When she didn't get a response, she fled. Sprinting on all paws, she made her way back to Davis's room and slammed the door shut.

"Hey, what gives?" Davis asked, finally letting go of his partner.

"Davis, tell me that you knew our partners were together and you didn't inform me of this."

"He kind of did, Kari. I was kind of surprised you never picked up on it."

Veemon's answer didn't please the girl all too much. "I can't believe that you guys want to be in a relationship when we are about to be attacked. Don't you know what you're going up against?"

"Kari, calm down," Davis reassured his friend, "I'm pretty sure Veemon and Gatomon were going to wait until everything was over with until they started to date. They just couldn't wait to tell us then, and that's why they told us now."

Looking down at the dragon, Kari was expecting an answer. "Yep, what Davis said," was all she got from him.

Kari sighed before looking towards Davis's room. "I'm going to talk to her," and away she went.

* * *

Opening the door slowly as to not make much noise, Kari saw her partner sitting at the top of the bed, clutching one of Davis's pillows. Tears were streaming down her face and a few sniffles escaped through her nose.

"Mind if I talk?" Kari asked as she approached her partner.

Gatomon looked up and shook her head. "I see why not," she answered depressingly.

"Look, I'm all thrilled that you and Veemon want to go out, but I don't think that right now is a good time to do that."

The white cat was on the verge of breaking down after what she heard. "I don't see why you thought we were talking about right now. Of course I know what we have to deal with first, I'm not an idiot!"

"I wasn't saying you were, it's just that you caught me off-guard. Gatomon, I'm going to support you through this because I know how long you've waited to find that special someone."

Kari placed her hand upon Gatomon's back and began petting her partner. This caused the cat to calm down just a bit before she spoke up. "I love him so much; I would do anything to protect him. And I would do anything to protect you, Kari."

"I know you will; you always were there for me, and you will always be there for me." The teenager bent down and gave the feline a hug.

"Thanks for understanding, Kari."

"Not a problem."

They broke apart to see Veemon and Davis standing at the doorway. Scooping up Gatomon in her arms, Kari walked towards the boys.

"Guess like we learned a lot today, huh?"

"You can say that again."

Silence filled the room for a couple seconds before Veemon spoke up. "Are you going to be okay, Gato?"

The feline smiled. "I will be, thanks for asking, Vee."

"I guess I should be heading home; I wish I could have stayed here longer, but I think I'd rather be home to mull over the facts of today."

"Not a problem, I understand completely. Thanks for coming though."

The group walked towards the entrance of the apartment before Veemon piped up, "Davis, what's for dinner?"

"Veemon…" Davis was about to say something witty until he remembered one important fact.

"Unless my family brings anything home, I don't know."

Kari chuckled at this response. "I'm pretty sure my family wouldn't mind having a few friends over."

"Are you sure? I mean, you're talking about Veemon and I here…well, mostly Veemon."

"Hey, I'll behave and eat like a normal being!"

"What makes you say that's going to happen?" Gatomon asked before the group laughed at the joke. Davis agreed to the invite, and as the four of them walked the streets of Odaiba, one in particular couldn't help but to wonder about what was to come.

* * *

**So there you have it, one really long chapter! I promise you that the next few will be pretty shorter (or so I hope =/). Again, review and tell me if I messed up on anything SPAG terms and your general thought about this chapter! Until next time, Pantastic is off!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Why yes, everyone; this is Pan here with another chapter of Revision after another long delay. Good news is that school is done till August (yayz!) and I can continue writing (more yayz!), and even more importantly, editing my works! So without further adu, read, review, and enjoy this chapter!  
**

* * *

As Christmas Day was winding down for families all across the world, one was pondering over the reoccurring dreams that he has been having over the past week. Oikawa sat at his dining room table, looking rather defeated.

To say that the man enjoyed this holiday would be a serious overstatement. Ever since Myotismon affected his body four years ago, his way of life changed drastically. It was hard for him to be in the holiday spirit when he really had nothing to celebrate.

His thoughts would have to wait as his telephone rang. Curious to see who was calling this late at night, Oikawa rose from his seat and walked over to the cordless device hanging on the wall.

"Hello?" Oikawa asked upon answering.

"Hey, Oikawa, Merry Christmas," was the other line's response.

"Oh, hey…umm…" Oikawa knew he heard the receiver's voice somewhere before, and not that long ago.

"It's Izzy, in case you were wondering." He found his answer.

"Oh, well how is everything been going?"

"Not bad, just celebrating the holidays while anxiously waiting for battle."

'_For battle…'_ Those two words echoed in Oikawa's head for a couple seconds, and then it hit him. His dreams all made sense now.

"The battle's happening tomorrow."

It took Izzy a few seconds to process what the man blurted out. "…Really?"

"I'm almost positive; it's like I see it happening right in front of my eyes. I've been having these dreams of monsters attacking the city."

"Do you know what they looked like?"

Oikawa scratched his head, trying hard to remember what he had seen. "Sadly, I do not remember."

"That's fine; I'm going to message you and the team right now for a quick get-together in the morning."

"Okay, just let me give you my email…" and at that moment, the phone call was cut off.

"Hello? Izzy, are you still there?" Oikawa heard nothing but a droning beep on the other end.

"Damnit!" Slamming the phone on the wall, he gave the table a nice kick in its leg before retreating to his chair.

"This is not good, not good one bit." Oikawa was left to ponder about what was to come.

* * *

"Oikawa? Hello?" Izzy couldn't hear a thing except for a long drone at the receiver's end.

"That's strange."

"What's strange, Izzy?" The young teenager turned to see Tentomon on his bed, just asking the question.

"I tried to tell Oikawa about a possible meeting, but then the phone line just went dead."

"That does sound a bit strange."

"When you factor in that nothing else went out in the house, it only adds to the strangeness."

Izzy walked over to his computer, seeing if he could email the team about the meeting. However, his computer wouldn't turn on.

"What in the world? Now my computer is acting up!"

"Really; that rarely happens to you, Izzy."

"You can say that again, Tentomon. I don't think Oikawa was fooling when he said the battle is starting tomorrow."

"So what do we do now; should I play the pigeon and deliver messages of doom to everyone?"

"Don't get so melodramatic. Who knows, maybe everyone else is having the same thought and are preparing themselves to do battle when the Daemon Corps arrive."

"I do hope so, Izzy; it would kind of be bad if we were the only ones to go against Ultimate level digimon."

"Tentomon, you can digivolve into MegaKabuterimon, remember?"

"…Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that. It sure has been a while since I can digivolve that high."

"It sure has," Izzy replied, remembering that day four years ago against Apocalymon, when he last saw his partner turn Ultimate. _'I feel as though nothing is going to stop us,_' Izzy pondered, confident that the team will defeat the evil that was to come.

* * *

Over in another part of Odaiba, one girl was struggling to get some sleep. Admitting defeat, Noriko opened her eyes as she stared up at her ceiling, wondering why she couldn't fall into a deep slumber.

Glancing at her clock, the red digits read out 10:25. _'Lovely; I've been trying close to an hour now…'_ the young girl thought as she was thinking of some small solution.

Sighing, she rose from her bed, now sitting on its edge. Noriko decided to think about the lovely day she had spent with her parents. It seemed straight out of a fairytale; the presents, the food, the laughter, joy, and happiness that came from today made the girl feel warm and comforted.

However, all of that went out of sight the minute she couldn't fall asleep. The faint voice she has been hearing for quite some time now has been gradually getting a bit louder, as well as visiting more frequently. _'Maybe that's the reason…'_

"_**The reason for what, you innocent child?"**_

Noriko gasped, trying not to scream her head off, seeing as her parents were still awake out in the living room.

"What do you want?"

"_**Ahh, so you **_**can**_** hear me from within…good, good."**_

Noriko was beyond furious, but there was nothing she could do to let it out. She didn't want her parents to know what happened with her a couple days back, and they would ask questions had they heard their daughter freak out.

"_**You want to know what I am doing here, correct?"**_

Noriko sighed. She had no choice but to reply in a harsh whisper. "Yes."

"_**Okay, well remember when that one being came in and entered your body?"**_

"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything."

The creature let out a sinister laugh before answering, _**"He's dead, and I ended up taking his place."**_

The young girl's eyes widen in shock. _'Davis never told me that,'_ she thought.

"Well, if he's gone, then who are you?"

"_**You'll find out soon enough…"**_ and with that, the creature let out another sinister laugh, before the voice died down inside of her head.

A couple seconds elapsed before Noriko felt her mind was at peace. Wasting no time, she grabbed her phone from on top of the dresser and dialed Davis' home number. Hoping that he would answer, she heard nothing but a surprising off-hook tone.

"What in the world?" Noriko mumbled, miffed that the call was dropped. Letting out a sigh, she set the phone back on the dresser and retreated back to her bed, trying to get some sleep, hoping that some answers would be available to her soon.

* * *

While Christmas was winding down in Odaiba, it was starting up over in America. Mimi was ecstatic to get the holiday festivities going, as she and her family was busy opening gifts and making light talk near nine in the morning.

"I can't thank you guys enough for getting me such lovely gifts," Mimi said to her parents as they were all sitting in the living room.

"Not a problem, sweetie," her father, Keisuke, replied as his wife, Satoe, nodded and spoke up, "It's the least we can do after all you've done for us."

She looked up from her gifts and lovingly into her parents' eyes. In that moment, Mimi realized how hard it would be to tell her parents what was about to happen over in Odaiba, and what she planned on doing to help. She has done a lot for her parents, considering that she had to start fresh in a new country away from the digidestined.

"Mom, Dad, there is something I need to tell you."

"Sure, honey; what seems to be the problem?"

Mimi let out a sigh before looking up at her parents before continuing, "You guys remember the attacks that occurred a few years back in Odaiba, right?"

"Well yeah, of course we do. It was tragic on all three of us."

Hearing her father's response, Mimi couldn't help but to ask, "What do you mean the three of us?"

"Tell me you weren't scared after that attack, and then heading back and fighting off those bad guys in another world. We were near sick out of our minds wondering if you would be safe."

"Yeah, mother, I was definitely scared heading back. At that point in time, I wanted to be home; I was sick of the fighting and killing. I lost a lot of friends along that journey, and I remember a point in where I didn't want to continue on anymore."

"So, what made you change your mind?"

"I guess I just wanted to be home and to be away from all the madness…it's kind of funny because I'm going back to it."

The parents gave quizzical glances at each other before Satoe asked, "You're going back to Odaiba?"

Mimi slowly nodded. "I need to. There's something big going on there and…"

"You're heading back even though you don't want to fight!" Satoe argued, now standing up.

"Honey, calm down; I guarantee you that Mimi has a good reason for this," Keisuke reassured his wife, now standing up with her.

"How can you say that she has a good reason? She even said herself that she was sick of the fighting…"

"I was sick of it back then!" Mimi yelled out. "Looking back, remembering what I did, it helped me grow as a person. It made me realize why I killed those evil digimon. Yeah, I might have been sick of it then, but now, I'm ready to fight because I know what I'm fighting for!"

"Well, what is that?" Keisuke asked.

"I am fighting for my friends in the digital world, especially my partner. Palmon, you can come out now!"

"Wait, one of them is here!"

"Yes, mother, my partner is here with me." And with that, Palmon walked out into the living room, looking a bit nervous.

"Hello to you both," the plant-like digimon spoke up, "I guess that Mimi already told you the plan."

"She kind of explained a bit of it, but I'm still wondering how you both are going to get over to Odaiba?"

"We'll be using your computer as a bit of transportation, father. See, I had my friend give me instructions on how to install a teleportation module in the computer, and the exact coordination where I will be heading."

"Where will you be staying?"

"My friend, Sora, said it was alright for me to stay there until the attack was done with."

"And how long will this take?"

"My guess is as good as yours…I have the slightest clue."

"So that's it then? You're just leaving us here while you go and fight with monsters!"

It appeared that Satoe wasn't giving up with the bickering. Mimi walked over to her mother and, placing her hands on her shoulders, she stated, "I'm going to be alright. I'll have Palmon there protecting me, along with the rest of the digidestined."

Mimi saw the look in her mother's eyes turn from bitterness to gloomy. "I'm just worried, that's all; the thoughts never go away. I just want you to be safe."

Mimi reeled her mother in with an embracing hug. "Mom, I'm going to be just fine. You have to understand that this is something I need to do. I can't back out of it; it's my duty to protect both here and the digital world, and if that means teleporting to another continent to help out, then I'm going to do it."

"Please be safe, that's all I ask," Satoe replied as tears trickled down her face.

Keisuke placed a hand on his wife's shoulder, trying to soothe the woman. "She'll be just fine, honey; we have to trust her."

Letting go of the embrace, Satoe looked as her husband and nodded as she dried her face up.

"I'll send emails, texts, whatever the case may be so that you know I'm safe and sound."

"That'll be wonderful."

Realizing that it's nearing nine o'clock and knowing that she arranged an arrival time of eleven at night with Sora, Mimi headed over to her father's office and booted up the computer. After a few minutes of typing, the teleportation module was ready to use.

"Palmon, can you please protect my daughter?"

"I've been doing that for quite some time now, Mrs. Tachikawa; I don't see why I would stop any time soon."

After bidding their goodbyes, Mimi and Palmon was engulfed into a bright white light and sucked into the computer. When the light vanished, the parents looked to see nobody there. At that moment, Satoe embraced Keisuke as the woman wept for her daughter.

"There, there; she's going to be fine," Keisuke tried to reassure his wife, but to no avail. _'Please, Mimi, just be safe.'_

Just as stated, the computer in Sora's house turned on and out popped Mimi and Palmon, both of them landing on the bedroom floor.

"Hey!"

Mimi looked up to see her friend's beaming smile, elated that she made it safe.

"Why hello there," Mimi got up and gave Sora a hug, "How are things?"

"Going a bit better than what happened a few minutes ago."

"What went wrong?" Palmon asked, curious to know.

"Apparently the power went out," Biyomon answered, appearing right next to Sora, "It was like, one minute all darkness, the next minute everything is back on."

"Oh geez, I hope everyone is safe."

"I'm pretty sure everyone is fine; I'm just concerned what caused the blackout?"

Mimi looked up at Sora's question before answering, "I think the invasion is taking place."

"You mean right now? But we haven't seen any signs of digimon around."

"Well, maybe they're somewhere else and are waiting for the right moment to attack."

"Either way, we just need to be prepared and ready to go when they do attack."

Mimi nodded at Sora's response, and deciding that it would be best for all of them, they all proceeded to head to bed, each wondering what tomorrow would bring.

* * *

Early the next morning, Joe decided that it would be good for him to resume his studies over in the local library, much to Gomomon's complaints.

"C'mon, Joe," the seal spoke up from the teenager's knapsack, "Why do you need to study the day after Christmas? Don't you get a few extra days of relaxation or something?"

"I do, but I don't think that it's necessary."

"Well to you, that might be the case, but it isn't sitting well for me!"

Joe sighed, not really wanting to argue with his partner at the moment. Continuing on his walk, he happened to spot some televisions being displayed inside a store. What caught his attention as he walked by was the heading of "Monsters" flashing upon the small screen.

"What in the world?" Joe questioned as he stopped to look at what was on the television.

"This just in: monsters were seen attacking the coasts of Takeshiba and Hinode. At about 2100 hours yesterday, local police spotted what seemed to be creatures coming from out of the blue and wreaking havoc among the civilians. Their attacks did cause a bit of an electrical problem here for half an hour, but thankfully, nothing too serious occurred. If you find yourself in a situation where you spot these monsters, seek shelter and call the local authorities immediately."

Joe couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Did you hear that, Gomomon? The attacks are happening right now!"

"Really?"

"Yes, really! Just be on the lookout for any potential threatening digimon, okay?"

"You got it!"

It didn't take long for the duo to spot trouble, as the shrieks coming near the bay gave the surprise away. Sprinting towards the dock, Joe looked down at the water and was shocked, his eyes lighting up as he saw what appeared to be one of the members from the Daemon Corps.

Just below the surface of the water was a digimon, its red eyes showing nothing but malice. Joe could faintly make out four white tentacles, two which appeared to be sprouting from the back. Many black thin appendages also sprouted out from the back.

"Gomomon, we have a situation on our hands."

"You can say that again."

Joe was taken by surprise to see his partner out of the knapsack and standing by its side. This, unfortunately, didn't sit well with the few citizens watching the evil digimon floating down the bay.

Just one glance from a pedestrian gave Joe the idea to scoop Gomomon up and run, seeing as he didn't want to cause a commotion among the civilians.

"Hey, what's the big idea?!" Gomomon protested as he was quickly grabbed by Joe as his partner was now running.

"Didn't you see the others looking at you? Do you know what they might be thinking now?"

"No; what?"

"They might now think that we're a part of this plan, and might be siding with that evil digimon."

"Don't be silly, Joe; nobody is going to think that once I give that thing a good whooping."

"Well, just to be safe," Joe stated before coming to a halt and, whipping out his cell phone, wrote a quick message to Izzy.

"You don't think I can take that thing on by myself, don't you?"

"Not a chance, buddy. We're going to need all the help we can get."

As soon as Joe hit 'send' on his phone, he continued on his run away from the pedestrians, not wanting anyone see him conversing with Gomomon. Unbeknownst to them, a certain someone was watching the duo all along from a rooftop nearby.

"Oh, this is going to be real interesting."

* * *

**So there you go, Chapter 16 down in the books. For those who don't follow the series and are confused about the mysterious digimon, Digimon Wiki is your friend (just look under Adventure 02 - Daemon (or google Daemon Corps...either way will work). Next chapter is where some of the action will be taking place; I hope I do a good job at that! Until then, Irish is peacing out!**


	17. Chapter 17

**What's up, everyone! This is Pantastic coming to you with another chapter of Revision! Thank you all for supporting this fic, as it is close to reaching 4,000 hits; I owe it all to you guys for reading, reviewing, favoring, and/or alerting this story; again, it means a lot and it keeps me motivated to write. So with that out of the way, I hope you all read, review, and enjoy this chapter!  
**

* * *

"This just in: a spotting of what appears to be a monster was seen floating in Tokyo Bay near the Metropolitan Expressway sometime this morning. This creature, which was seen by our crew, has been linked to the attacks that occurred late last night. Again, if you find yourself facing these creatures, stay calm, seek shelter, and call authorities immediately."

The words that were coming out of the television set made Hiroaki sigh in disbelief. Here he was, in a similar position four years ago during Myotismon's invasion; a bunch of evil digimon coming into town and creating havoc over the city.

"Some crazy events seem to be going on, eh?"

Hiroaki turned away from the television to see Mikio, one of the few interns that worked at the station, commentating on what he just saw.

"Yeah, you can say that again."

Some seconds of silence passed before Mikio asked, "Do you believe in all of this?"

Hiroaki was close to blurting out 'yes,' but stopped himself before he could do so. How could he explain to a college student that he, as a father of two sons who were chosen to fight these monsters, approves of the debacle that is taking place?

"I guess you can say that I dealt with this before."

Mikio's hazel-colored eyes went wide. "Really, you've been through this before!?"

"A few years back, yes. It was kind of a big thing, seeing as some of it took place here in the building."

"...Now why doesn't the managers tell us interns this when we're applying?"

"Why, would it freak you out?"

Mikio silently nodded, giving Hiroaki his answer. Silence once again filled the air until a cell phone rang off. Reaching down into his pocket and, looking at the caller ID before flipping the phone open, Hiroaki answered, "Yeah."

Mikio looked at the man as he started his conversation. Sure, eavesdropping was rude, but he did have a few more minutes of his break to kill before heading back to work.

"Okay, calm down," Hiroaki said through the cellular device, "Yes, you can come here...yes; everyone else can come here as well. Okay, I'll see you then; goodbye." And with that, he closed his phone.

"So what was that all about?" The intern asked, which made Hiroaki gasp.

'_Oh man, am I in a big pickle now...'_ The older man pondered, wondering if he should tell the youngster about the events that took place back then.

"Let's say that something is going to happen, and it's quite big, and that we might be on the go."

"On the go? You mean like, actually driving after those monsters?"

"...Pretty much; look, I know it's a lot to expect from interns, but consider this an opportunity of a lifetime. Are you in?"

Mikio wasted no time in answering. "Sure! It beats being around here in this building, that's for sure."

"Good; I'll let the manager know right now and I'll inform you what's going down later on."

With that out of the way, Hiroaki rushed to meet up with his boss to inform him what is going to occur with him and Mikio. After that, he had to find a way to break it to the young man what happened...and what might happen to him now.

* * *

"Yes, I know it's happening now, but I'm going to be late getting over there."

Ken was currently running around, frantic with worry that he will miss the meeting that Tai called at the last minute - seeing that Joe contacted Izzy, who contacted Tai, who then contacted the rest (minus Ken, seeing as Izzy was doing that now) about meeting up at the Fuji television station immediately.

"_Well please try your best to get here as soon as you can; better to be safe than sorry, I suppose."_

"Thanks." And with that, Ken ended the call.

"Ken, is it happening?"

The boy looked down at Wormmon, a concerned look shown upon his face.

"I guess it is; c'mon, we're leaving now."

As soon as Ken swooped down to grab his partner, he turned around to see his parents standing outside his bedroom door.

"Look, it's happening now and I need to leave. Don't worry, I'll be safe."

"Well I guess there's no stopping you; just please, be careful."

Looking at his mother after hearing her statement, all he could do was embrace her.

"I will be."

After embracing his father - who also told Ken to be safe - he made his way out the front door with Wormmon in his arms.

"Well, now what?" The caterpillar digimon asked.

"Good question, not so sure."

Ken didn't want to admit it, but they were between a rock and a hard place. Seeing that Tamachi was a good half hour away from Odaiba, and having to wait for the shuttle in the station, it would be about an hour before they got to the meeting.

"Guys, get in!"

Ken recognized that voice, and looking over his shoulder, he saw a black painted Mazda - at least a good half a decade old - coming up to him. The boy wasn't surprised when he saw who was driving.

"Oikawa?"

"Yes, get in."

And just like that, Ken and Wormmon entered the man's vehicle. Once buckled up, Oikawa started driving.

"I kind of figured with all the monsters appearing that you might need a quicker way to head to Odaiba."

"Well, it'll save me a good fifteen minutes."

"Well let's hope so; I've heard Rainbow Bridge might be closing down due to that one monster lurking around the bay; they already shut down the Expressway, so anything is possible."

On one hand, Ken was grateful that Oikawa was there at the right time to offer him and Wormmon a much needed lift. On the other hand, he was wondering if it might be a bit too late, as the boy was hoping that the bridge wouldn't be shut down.

Not even a full minute passed before they saw the bridge still intact with flowing traffic.

"Alright, apparently nothing too serious occurred." Oikawa stated.

"...Yet." Ken muttered.

Looking out into the bay as Oikawa drove over the bridge, Ken was lost in thought as he was focusing on the upcoming battles. Who were these digimon? And more importantly, how were they going to stop them?

* * *

"Does anyone know when Ken will be here?" Tai asked the rest of the group as they, along with their partners, were waiting on the boy for the past few minutes.

"I just told you Tai, he'll be here when he gets here," Izzy answered.

And just like that, within a few seconds, the group saw the black car. Parking along the street before exiting, the group was glad to see Ken and a bit surprised to see Oikawa.

"Umm, hey Oikawa," Tai greeted the man, "What brings you here?"

"Simple; Ken needed a ride here, so I thought I'd help out."

"And helped out you did."

The group turned around to see Gennai standing behind them.

"Thanks for the support, Oikawa, but if you mind, I'll take things from here."

"Not an issue at all," Oikawa warmly smiled while bowing, "I was just glad to assist."

"Pardon for interrupting, but did you guys plan this to happen?"

Gennai glanced at Ken and shook his head as he started to explain. "I sure did; thankfully, power was restored later last night or otherwise this wouldn't have taken place. I told Oikawa about the attack beginning, and he jumped right on board in assisting in whatever way possible. Now with all of you here, it's time for me to explain your nemeses."

A bright flash of light emulated from Gennai's hand as it floated beside the elder man. What showed inside the light was a digimon that looked familiar to one.

"I remember seeing that creature!" Joe blurted out, instantly recognizing the group's first foe.

"That's correct; this digimon is known as MarineDevimon. It lies in Tokyo Bay right now, waiting for the right moment to pounce. Now, this may not be an easy decision, but we need three of you guys to take charge and fight him!"

"Are you asking for volunteers?" Cody brought up.

"If he is, then so be it; I volunteer to battle with this creature," Armadillomon spoke up, causing his partner to panic.

"Wait what! Why would you want to go along and fight?"

"Simple; I think Submarimon can take him down, and if I can't, I'll have two others to fight alongside me."

"He does have a point," TK stated, "I guess you can count me and Patamon in."

"And Joe and I already called first dibs back when we saw him."

"Well then it's settled – Joe, TK, and Cody will take on MarineDevimon."

With a snap of his fingers, Gennai's light flashed and another image popped up.

"I want her!"

Without even a second to describe the digimon, Gatomon ferociously stated her well-being to fight.

"I had a hunch you would want LadyDevimon; maybe a previous quarrel with another one did this in for you, eh?"

"Oh, you have no idea," Gatomon beamed wickedly, reminiscing on her last encounter with a LadyDevimon back four years ago before fighting off Piedmon.

"So who else will aid with Kari and Gatomon?"

A moment of silence passed before Mimi spoke up, "I'll go; I definitely think Lilymon can show that evil brute something."

"So that's two; who's going to be the last volunteer, or should we wait to see the next villain?"

After more silence passed, Gennai showed the third villain of the Daemon Corps.

"This here is SkullSatamon; he is one to most likely be fighting in the city, and the guy is quick, I'll give him that."

Before anyone could speak up, Gennai continued on. "Now, I'd think it would be appropriate if Tai and Davis stayed back and waited for Daemon to appear. If anyone contests to that, please speak up now."

Silence filled the group, giving the clear answer.

"So we have Izzy, Matt, Sora, Ken, and Yolei left to decide where they should go," Tai stated, getting the memo.

"I think Yolei should come with us," Kari stated, "I have a good feeling that Aquilamon's quickness will come in handy."

"Well I'm not going to protest to that, if that's fine with you?" Hawkmon asked his partner.

A slight nod was all the girl gave, sealing her going against LadyDevimon.

"I think I should stay and watch for Daemon; I have good reason to do so."

Gennai looked to see Ken determined to face off against the leader, knowing well what he could be getting himself into.

"Well then it's settled; Izzy, Matt, and Sora will have SkullSatamon to beat. Glad to see this all worked out."

After a few seconds of silence, Oikawa brought up a small question. "So now we wait?"

Gennai looked at the man before stating, "And now we wait."

* * *

"Please explain to me what we're doing again?"

Mikio was currently in the trunk of one of the television studio's vans, studying the equipment that was back there when he had the urge to ask the question.

"Again, we're on the lookout for the creatures so that I can relay them to my sons."

"…Wouldn't it just be best to tell them right outside?"

Hiroaki sighed from his position in the driver's seat before replying. "I don't want to cause any sort of commotion, and plus, I'm not sure if I would feel comfortable taking you out there to meet all of them."

"All of them?"

"Twelve kids and their partners don't sound like a lot to you, huh?"

Before Mikio could reply, loud beeps blared through the speakers as the intern looked for the cause of the problem.

"I think I might have found someone."

Hiroaki got out of the van and rushed back to the trunk to see for himself. As Mikio pointed out, flashing upon the radar, was a single point directed near the middle of Odaiba. Whipping out his cell phone, Hiroaki speed dialed Matt, and in a few seconds, the teenager answered.

"Matt, we've found the first enemy located in the middle of the city, approximately a few blocks away from the Tokyo Teleport station."

Another blare went off, as another foe was spotted on the radar.

"Hold on, someone else has been spotted near Le Daiba…yes, the one near Wangan."

After giving his son the information, Hiroaki closed his phone.

"Thanks for your help, Mikio; now, we just wait till we hear about the situations, and then we film and try to get something good for the news."

"…This doesn't happen often I guess?"

"Not at all; this is why you will cherish this at the end of it all…hopefully."

* * *

"Okay, Gennai, do you have any idea who is where?" After Matt got the information from his father, he informed the mysterious being where two of the ultimates were located.

Gennai closed his eyes, trying to gain a sense of peace to find out who exactly was near those locations. After a good few minutes of meditation, he came back to his senses.

"I feel that LadyDevimon is near the station, while SkullSatamon is near the hotel."

"Perfect; thanks for the help," Matt answered.

"Alright guys, you know what your duty is," Tai explained, "We were called to be DigiDestined for a reason, and this is one of those moments; whatever sense of fear you have inside of you right now, try to relinquish it because it will not help during this battle. There is no way whatsoever you guys cannot give it your all and protect this world; we've done it before and we'll do it again!"

Kari beamed at her older brother's speech, proud of the leader that was still inside him. "He's right, you guys. I'm not sure about you all, but I'm ready to show this Daemon Corps just who's the boss around here is."

After much agreeing with some commotion, the groups were ready to start their battles. Birdramon carried Sora – along with the rest of her members – towards the hotel, while Aquilamon carried Yolei and her members towards the station.

"Now what?" Davis asked, confused on what his group will do.

"Didn't you hear Gennai; we wait here till Daemon comes," Ken retorted.

Tai let out a bit of a sigh; he knows dealing with his partners will not be a pleasurable experience.

"TK," Gennai explained, "You guys should wait near the bay area in case MarineDevimon comes up."

"You got it, Gennai," the preteen answered, but before he could digivolve Patamon, Joe interrupted.

"Wait; I think we should conserve our energy and walk, and plus, we might be able to pull off a sneak attack."

TK thought about it for a moment, and then realized that his group could be spotted easily if Pegasusmon was hovering over the bay. Agreeing with Joe, the group decided it was best to walk.

"Now that all of that is out of the way," Gennai stated, turning his attention to Oikawa, "I want you to stay here with the others just in case **they** return."

Understanding what he meant, Oikawa shook his head. "I will."

"Good; I wish you all the best of luck during this battle. The fate of the Digital World lies in the hands of you guys."

"…Yeah, no real pressure on us or anything," Davis replied, feeling a bit nervous for his encounter with the mega leveled digimon.

With the flick of his wrists, a white cloud of smoke appeared before Gennai, and as the smoke cleared up, he disappeared.

'_I know the DigiDestined have it in them to defeat their foes…I just hope they don't lose something more in the process.'  
_

* * *

**And there you guys have it, Chapter 17 down in the books. Next chapter is where the actual action takes place, and I have to say that I am pretty excited to start...but don't get your hopes up on an update happening in the next day or two since I actually start the bulk of my work during the summer (gah, I though summer was suppose to be fun and sunshine and no work! :(...I tease, it's all a part of life). Again, I thank you for reading, and until next chapter, IP is gone! :)**


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